D-backs (Kelly) vs Red Sox (Suarez): 08/18/26, 7:10 PM

[Brock Beauchamp]

The Red Sox hand the ball to Suarez against Kelly and the D-backs tonight at Fenway Park.

[Brock Beauchamp]

	THU	FRI	SAT	SUN	MON	TOT
Wyatt Olds	0	0	0	0	12	12
Tyron Guerrero	0	0	0	0	0	0
Jovani Morán	0	27	0	0	13	40
Greg Weissert	17	0	0	0	13	30
Erik Miller	0	0	11	0	0	11
Brayan Bello	0	0	0	0	76	76
Aroldis Chapman	0	0	15	0	0	15
Alec Gamboa	0	36	0	0	14	50

[vegasbob]

It is time to see if Ranger can get 5 or 6 innings of efficient pitching done

The Sox will need Suarez to be part of any playoff rotation, even in a 3 of 5.  He has not shown much lately

[mvp 78]

Last time out, he went 5 IP and pitched well. He also increased his pitch total by 10 pitches from his previous post-injury starts. My guess is that he can go to 90 pitches today as long as everything looks good. He's never thrown 160 IP before and he's at 108 right now. This is just kind of his workload TBH. They also want to save him for the playoffs. 

[Maxbialystock]

This season's Sox remind me of the little girl with a curl.  When she was good, she was very, very good, and when she was bad, she was horrid.

By the above I mostly mean the lineup, not the pitching, and that's almost certainly because Breslow is more comfortable going after MLB pitchers--which he was for 10 seasons--than lineup players.  

Nevertheless, I give him good marks for letting Devers and Bregman go and for bringing in Contreras and Durbin and maybe Monasteros.  Also, Bloom left him with Yoshida and Story who have not earned their pay at the plate--together they get $40M/year through next season.  Ugh.  I'm down on Rutschman because he ain't hitting and because spelling his name is a pain.  But he can catch and isn't too pricey.  Mead, meanwhile, is hitless since July 29 and won't return to the lineup until September, if that.  

All in all, I think Breslow has done an excellent job.  Let's not forget that two of his best players, Crochet and Anthony, will miss 2/3 or more of this season.  

 

 

[moonslav59]

2 hours ago, Maxbialystock said:

All in all, I think Breslow has done an excellent job.  Let's not forget that two of his best players, Crochet and Anthony, will miss 2/3 or more of this season.  

While all teams have injuries and some have as much as we do, ours seems to be focused on the rotation and middle infield.

Losing Crochet, but also having a few horrible starts by him hurt badly. His injury forced us to go into the depth quicker than we wanted to do, and eventually got down to Tolle, Bennett and Sandoval to the point where some may be reaching their IP limit (Tolle & Bennett) or our patience limit (Sandy.)

The Houck injury was known way a head of time and planned for, but it's still a blow to lose your 2024 ace/#1 SP'er for the full year.

Bello was slotted 4th or 5th, sucked for a few starts and developed the Starter yips, and now must be used from the pen.

Crawford was supposed to return, last fall, then injured himself while on the IL. I remember hearing Merloni raving about him being a key, this year... NOPE!

Early was called upon in early April and got hurt, then traded. He's still on the IL, but for someone else.

Oviedo was supposed to be pretty high up on the SP depth chart, but went on the IL before he could start one game.

Sandoval missed over half the season, and not is our 5th and seemingly last SP'er to fill the rotation. An opener+Bello can work out well, but we are still at the bottom of the barrell.

That's 6 SP'ers missing significant time. Only Gray has gone wire to wire.

The middle infield has been a mess too. Our HR, RBI and SB leader (Story) from 2025 got hurt early. Mayer got hurt and traded. IKF justs tarted doing well and got hurt. That was our top 3 middle infielders (Romy was injured and is best viewed as a DH or 1Bman.)

We've used 5 SSs, including 4 over 115 innings, and yet it is not really a weak area, right now.

We've used 7 2Bmen, including the one we traded for and who got hurt day one. Mayer is still the inning leader as was traded. I wouldn't really call 2B a bad slot, right now.

What a bench!

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

3 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

While all teams have injuries and some have as much as we do, ours seems to be focused on the rotation and middle infield.

Losing Crochet, but also having a few horrible starts by him hurt badly. His injury forced us to go into the depth quicker than we wanted to do, and eventually got down to Tolle, Bennett and Sandoval to the point where some may be reaching their IP limit (Tolle & Bennett) or our patience limit (Sandy.)

The Houck injury was known way a head of time and planned for, but it's still a blow to lose your 2024 ace/#1 SP'er for the full year.

Bello was slotted 4th or 5th, sucked for a few starts and developed the Starter yips, and now must be used from the pen.

Crawford was supposed to return, last fall, then injured himself while on the IL. I remember hearing Merloni raving about him being a key, this year... NOPE!

Early was called upon in early April and got hurt, then traded. He's still on the IL, but for someone else.

Oviedo was supposed to be pretty high up on the SP depth chart, but went on the IL before he could start one game.

Sandoval missed over half the season, and not is our 5th and seemingly last SP'er to fill the rotation. An opener+Bello can work out well, but we are still at the bottom of the barrell.

That's 6 SP'ers missing significant time. Only Gray has gone wire to wire.

The middle infield has been a mess too. Our HR, RBI and SB leader (Story) from 2025 got hurt early. Mayer got hurt and traded. IKF justs tarted doing well and got hurt. That was our top 3 middle infielders (Romy was injured and is best viewed as a DH or 1Bman.)

We've used 5 SSs, including 4 over 115 innings, and yet it is not really a weak area, right now.

We've used 7 2Bmen, including the one we traded for and who got hurt day one. Mayer is still the inning leader as was traded. I wouldn't really call 2B a bad slot, right now.

What a bench!

Great post, Moon.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Fine catch by Rutschman.

[vegasbob]

7 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

Last time out, he went 5 IP and pitched well. He also increased his pitch total by 10 pitches from his previous post-injury starts. My guess is that he can go to 90 pitches today as long as everything looks good. He's never thrown 160 IP before and he's at 108 right now. This is just kind of his workload TBH. They also want to save him for the playoffs. 

22 pitch 1st doesn't lend itself to longevity.  It does tell me that Ranger. like some others, is not fully ready to go in the first.  Also he doesn't have or wants to show a drop dead out pitch.

Suarez is critical to any post season chances so we need him now to keep the WC, but to win a few games there

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Great bunt.

[vegasbob]

I'll have whatever Cedanne  has been drinking.  Playing with skill and smarts

[vegasbob]

Contreras, not so smart on ABS.

Big miss and a big K. idiot

[moonslav59]

Anthony homered for POR.

[Tedballgame]

Adley can hit.

[moonslav59]

Big hit for the new guy.

[Tedballgame]

Durbin delivers.

[vegasbob]

Adley made that inning and  Durbin put frosting on the cake

Note as SS did. that Rutschman made a difficult foul catch at the net to help Suarez who needed it

[Tedballgame]

Duran got robbed.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Just now, Tedballgame said:

Duran got robbed.

He hasn't had much luck this season.

[vegasbob]

1 minute ago, Tedballgame said:

Duran got robbed.

In addition to his own shortcomings he has had a fair amount of bad luck with plays against him and At'em balls

[JoeBrady]

2 minutes ago, vegasbob said:

Contreras, not so smart on ABS.

Big miss and a big K. idiot

I don't mind the K, but the challenge was awful.  That early in the game, a 0-0 count, you should be right at least 95% of the time.  That was closer to down-the-middle than a ball.  Now we can't make any challenges for the next 6 innings.

[JoeBrady]

5 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Big hit for the new guy.

So are demoting him, or extending him?  I'm a little behind.

[JoeBrady]

6 minutes ago, Tedballgame said:

Durbin delivers.

I like to see that.  Nothing fancy.  Just take a pitch you can handle and loft it into the outfield.  A few too many guys swing from the heels in that situation.  I remember Ricky Henderson telling Canseco, 'do you know how many times Mattingly left me on 3rd?  Never, not once'.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Luv those DP's 

[moonslav59]

3 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

So are demoting him, or extending him?  I'm a little behind.

I'm on the demote Duran bandwagon, only.

Any form will do....

Demote to AAA.

Demote to the bench.

Demote to platoon in the 9th slot.

Demote to platoon.

Rut can go 1 for 50, and he stays.

 

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Good shut down inning.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

6 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

So are demoting him, or extending him?  I'm a little behind.

Little behind? So you're not a Kardashian.

[vegasbob]

This totally unfair but is too much of a layup to pass on:

Cannot wait for Anthony. hitting 1

000 in AA. to get promoted to WooSox.  

But be very careful, Marcelo , like Bad Leroy Brown will be in town

 

 

[Tedballgame]

I love that Tracy has the Sox bunting. Small ball can win.

[vegasbob]

Watched a ballgame but an episode of General Hospital broke out

Hope all these kids get long lives as Red Sox fans