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Maxbialystock

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Everything posted by Maxbialystock

  1. Maxbialystock
    I'm fine with anyone saying Bloom blew it on Kluber--even though he has been decent in 4 of 8 starts so far this year. But to me the bigger picture has to include Sale, Paxton, and Bello--three pretty good starters. Plus five other possible starters--Houck, Kluber, Crawford, Whitlock, and Pivetta--who can start or help in the bullpen, which already looks pretty decent (even though Schreiber is out and the notorious Bleier is still in).
  2. Maxbialystock
    Strangely enough, Wacha's career year was last year with the Sox: 23 starts, 124 innings, ERA 3.32, WAR 3.3. 2019 with the Cards, 2020 with Mets, and 2021 with the Rays weren't so hot.
  3. Maxbialystock
    You could be right about Nate although right now I'm pretty happy with the resurgence of Sale and Paxton, plus Bello showing signs of sticking. And, as I keep saying (so much everyone is sick of it), when Whitlock returns (soon), Cora will have 5 options for the final two starter slots: Houck and Kluber (the two their now); Crawford and Whitlock, who looked pretty good; and Pivetta, who just moved to the bullpen and is not happy about it. Plus a pretty decent bullpen--aided by whoever among the 5 possibles doesn't start.
  4. Maxbialystock
    Get used to Kike because Story and Mondesi are both July or later. However, Chang should be back next month, June. Duvall should be back next month as well.
  5. Maxbialystock
    Agree. I could be wrong, but my strong impression of his pitching yesterday was that he was definitely working the corners and missing--but not by a lot. On the other hand, he didn't even look good in the 2d inning, which ended with a line drive to Valdez who flipped to Kike at 2B to double up the guy who led the inning off with a double. Kluber has actually been decent in 4 of 8 starts: 5 IP, 1 ER vs Pirates; 6 IP, 1 ER vs Orioles; 5.1 IP and 3 ER vs. Jays, and 5 IP and 3 ER vs Phillies.
  6. Maxbialystock
    Chicken feed. His guaranteed base is $10M--great for him; not good for the Sox. Meanwhile the Padres are paying Wacha $26M for four years. Wacha got off to a slow start, ERA 6.75 in April, but in 4 starts in May his ERA is 0.36 with 25 IP. His season to date ERA is 3.56 with 5 quality starts. It sure looks like Kluber was a bad move, but, while Wacha right now looks terrific, we don't know how he will do over 4 years--which of course was the big stumbling block in keeping him.
  7. Maxbialystock
    I was pretty mad at Kluber today too. But consider the following. In their last 14 games the San Diego Padres are 3-11, which is pretty bad. The winning pitcher all three times was Wacha, and in those three wins/games he gave up a total of 1 run. So, me, I'm thinking: boy, I'm glad Sale, Paxton, or Bloom wasn't starting because our chances of winning this game were pretty slim.
  8. Maxbialystock
    Same applies to Mookie.
  9. Maxbialystock
    There ain't no such thing as a "good loss," of course, but my preference is for losses--if they must occur (and they must)--to include both lousy pitching and lousy hitting. Plus throw in the error by Valdez. The one not so good aspect is having to use all those bullpen arms because Kluber got pulled after 2.1 innings.
  10. Maxbialystock
    Watch your spelling.
  11. Maxbialystock
    Actually, this game is starting to make sense. First Kluber, who absolutely stunk. Then Bleier who only needed one pitch to stink just as much. And now Pivetta warming up in the bullpen.
  12. Maxbialystock
    That's at least the second time Bleier's done that this season--come in with a man on first, facing a lefty hitter (advantage to the pitcher), and given up a 2 run dinger. Or is it the 3d time?
  13. Maxbialystock
    Bloom let Wacha go and signed Kluber. It's possible he picked the wrong one. I mean it takes a kind of artistry to give up 4 runs on just one hit.
  14. Maxbialystock
    Definitely. However, this winning streak began with Pivetta starting. He's now in the bullpen.
  15. Maxbialystock
    A much better assessment than mine.
  16. Maxbialystock
    I love the concept of WAR, an attempt to assess the whole player. And I love defense because great plays are the poetry of baseball. But hitting and pitching are the prose and the center of baseball. The truth about Red Sox baseball is that hitting has always been the most essential ingredient for winning. Then comes pitching. And defense is a distant 3d. As an example, I think JDM was a huge addition to the roster in 2018 because he simply made the entire lineup better--they realized their potential and had the best Sox season ever. And JDM pretty much sucked at defense when he wasn't the DH. Here are some DWAR's from the 2018 Sox--probably the greatest Sox team ever--Nunez (-1.5); JDM (-1.4); Bogey (-1.0); Devers (-0.9); Benintendi (-0.6); Moreland (-0.5); Pearce (-0.4); Holt (-0.1). What's that Bill Murray chant? "It just doesn't matter; it just doesn't matter; it just doesn't matter." So I frankly don't care what Yoshida's DWAR is. If he hits, he contributes plenty.
  17. Maxbialystock
    Lucky you. The good ones are, well, boring. Watching Kluber is like watching sisyphus pushing that big rock up the hill, except every now and then he gets it there. Today we get to watch a reenactment of David and Goliath--with the special twist that we let Wacha go and went out and grabbed Kluber instead.
  18. Maxbialystock
    The "realism" began with the preseason survey when three of you said the Sox would have a winning record and when I joined 9 others agreeing the Sox would be losers. And by realism I mean simply a better overall assessment. There have definitely been a bunch of surprises already this season-- Sale, Paxton, and Bello; the bullpen; Dugo; Duran; Casas (maybe); Duvall for 8 games; Kike moving to the infield/SS because of the injuries to Story, Mondesi and then Chang; Yoshida; both catchers, Wong and McGuire.
  19. Maxbialystock
    So allow me to offer a contrarian view. The Sox have never cared about defense at SS. When they get a good one, they get rid of him ASAP. By that standard Kike is quite adequate. I assume you made up this crap about a friendship with Cora because I think Cora is great at handling his players but won't hesitate to juggle his lineups based on necessity and opportunity and not "friendship." Kike's who we have because Mondesi, Story, and Chang have been, are, and will continue to be on the IL.
  20. Maxbialystock
    Kluber vs. Wacha, both righties. Huge advantage to the Padres. Wacha has been terrific in May: 19 IP, 1 freaking ER, 18 K's and 6 BB's. Kluber continues to establish his credentials in the "over the hill gang" with 15.1 IP in May, 10 ER, 4 dingers, 7 BB's, and 13 K's. Against Wacha, Cora is going pretty much--except McGuire in for Wong--with last night's lineup: Verdugo RF Yoshida DH Casas 1B Devers 3B Duran CF Tapia LF Kike SS Valdez 2B McGuire C That's 8 lefty bats plus Kike Hernandez.
  21. Maxbialystock
    Excellent overview, as always. Somewhere on posted on Talksox that, with the emergence of not only Sale, but Paxton and Bello (who needs better command), the Sox have three pretty good starters and are backed up by more so-so starters and a pretty good bullpen. So I think the immediate future of Sox pitching looks pretty good--and with it the immediate future of the team.
  22. Maxbialystock
    Good on the game and Sale. I long ago decided not to challenge Cora's lineups. Casas's OBP in May is .365 and his OPS is .864. Tapia is the the 5th outfielder after Dugo, Duran, Yoshida, and Refsnyder.
  23. Maxbialystock
    Ugly, but a save.
  24. Maxbialystock
    Need the good bullpen tonight.
  25. Maxbialystock
    Yep. 6 innings, 2 runs.
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