jacksonianmarch

Really strange game. And for once, Cora didn’t pull the right string. Houck has been a reliable pen arm since converting in September, why wasn’t he up? Also, a700 and I made the comments on the game thread that Whitlock was not sharp in his first inning. Pivetta showed the game plan today. Fastballs at or above the top of the zone and they’ll chase. They did it for each of his innings. Pivetta comes out early (65 pitches?). Cora pieces together the 6th. Whitlock comes on. He was benefited by the first two hitters chasing and getting two fast outs. But the AB to McCormack and Castro were really telling of future issues. Vaz has the targets up for both and Whitlock kept throwing down. He’s lucky Castro’s missile went into the glove of Schwarber. Cora extends Whitlock for a second inning and first pitch is a dead center fastball that ties the game. He then gives up another rocket single, misses location down to Bergman and gets lucky with a DP and recovers vs Alvarez with good location up. Whitlock did not command his stuff today. As for Eovaldi, the knock on him for years was his FB doesn’t play up. It’s 100mph, but doesn’t look like a 100 mph fastball (ie, not a spin rate master). Eovaldi became a great pitcher when he added a reliable curve and cutter and became a hard throwing crafty righty. The sequence to Correa was strange because he sped his bat up the entire ab and never deviated from the FB. He then leaves one out over the plate and gets burned. Say what you want about the missed strike, it was a ball but Diaz was giving 6 inches off the plate all game. The killer was Castro’s AB where again Eovaldi got cute in the bottom of the zone vs a lefty and got burned. Overall, I thought Whitlock was f***ed entering his second inning and he’s lucky he only gave up one run. I don’t know what’s going on with Houck, but going to Eovaldi should only be a last ditch thing or a save situation, not a tie game situation. He also threw 25+ pitches, not a quick inning, which could jeopardize game 6.

I thought with Pivetta going and the Astros using a pen game that the Sox had a decided advantage since they could take tonight and then rely on a win from Eovaldi back in Houston. This alters the calculus. That HR off Whitlock changes it completely

Bigger question is where is Houck

This has to be his last batter. You need to save him for game 6

This has walk off written all over it

Baker messed that up. McCormack had been hitting and you bring in another RH hitter with the penchant for the K. Made little sense

McCormick had been hitting. Strange to pinch hit for him

Disagree. Unless the Astros go to Framber, you need only outlast Pressly

Gotta be this guy's last hitter. He started losing his release point with Renfroe

Is Houck unavailable?

Wow, that is not a strike

You aren't wrong. The issue I have with Sale is he cannot seem to locate the fastball, so that leaves you with one pitch for strikes. Until he finds his fastball command, he is a liability

This guy is filthy and locating right now. Gonna need to hope he misses the spot and that the sox make him pay

when I say it, I am trolling, lol. I am a former pitcher, I get the game plan. Whitlock was not sharp. Gameplan was to throw balls down out of the zone and hard strikes up. He struggled locating the fastball up. He got lucky in inning 1 with the first two batters chasing balls and getting themselves out then the rocket ends up in Schwarber's glove. In inning 2, he paid for his lack of command with the HR then gets a DP on a total miss down the middle before recovering and throwing well vs Alvarez

Graveman is their final good pitcher. If you can hold them in the 9th, you'll win

Much better final pitch to Alvarez. Up and in, he couldnt extend

Lol, it was a cockshot that Bregman missed. Whitlock has not been sharp.

Trolling? I just got home, lol.

Cockshot double play

Got lucky on the check swing there

Good pitch Buck? That was a cement mixer

You gotta pull him now. Down in the zone again. Pivetta was up all game and dominated

You gotta pull Whitlock here. He is missing down now. They are gonna crush him if he doesnt get up in the zone

I called this one. Down the middle.

Whitlock got two very easy outs on chased pitches. Left some hittable balls the next two PAs with the single and rocket lineout. Whitlock needs to live up with the heater just like Pivetta. If he starts locating down, the Astros might hit him