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Maxbialystock

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Everything posted by Maxbialystock

  1. Maxbialystock
    "Supposed to be better" than Davies? Davies faced a pretty good Dodgers offense twice in April and gave up 1 run in 5 innings and I think 5 runs in 4.1 innings. He, like Whitlock, is coming off the IL. Whitlock started 3 games in April--5 IP and 5 runs vs the Rays; 7 IP and 1 run vs the Angels; and 4 innings and 5 runs vs the Brewers. So who knows which one is better? Last night's offense--sans Devers and sans Duran--worked brilliantly to counter the slump the Sox were in. Kudos to Cora even though Pfaadt pitches like his name sounds. Could not agree more about which lineup tonight and how they will do.
  2. Maxbialystock
    .864!!!???? I had no idea.
  3. Maxbialystock
    If you were behind Casas all the time, you were stark, raving lucky. Actually, I think Cora and Bloom probably agreed with you.
  4. Maxbialystock
    Typical of you to focus on one little tree and ignore the forest. Yes, the Sox lineup--without Duran and Devers--beat up a weak starter, Pfaadt. Yes, the Sox have been in a hitting slump on this west coast trip. But, even with the slump, the Sox are 4th in MLB in runs scored and 6th in team OPS. That's with Duvall playing just 8 games and Story none. Instead, and with the notable exception of Devers, the Sox are going with a "no name" offense that has delivered more often than not. There are absolutely zero "giddy" talksoxers right now. Nevertheless--and I know this will disappoint you--the Sox are 3 games above .500 and definitely in the wild card hunt. The rotation--now Sale, Paxton, Bello, Houck, and Whitlock--looks almost decent, and the bullpen is definitely decent. The defense ain't so hot. But Duvall is on rehab assignment--as is Chang--and Story should be back by the end of this decade if not sooner ("July").
  5. Maxbialystock
    Tonight's game is at 7:15 pm, not the insane 9:38 pm last night--in the Mountain Time Zone, yet. Whitlock vs. Davies is a toss-up, with no pitching advantage for the Sox. 7 runs last night--without Devers or Duran--was a welcome surprise. Refsnyder, Tapia, and Verdugo weren't half bad in the outfield. Ditto Turner at 3B and Casas at 1B. We'll just have to see what lineup Cora goes with tonight.
  6. Maxbialystock
    Agree on both points. Sale was off tonight, throwing just 60% strikes. Plus you could see that 4th ball called via delay of game upset him. All the rule changes seem to favor the offense. Bigger bases. Limit on seconds between pitches. Batter can step out and interrupt the pitcher however. Pitcher can only throw to 1b once.
  7. Maxbialystock
    I think he'll go back to Devers and Duran tomorrow.
  8. Maxbialystock
    You are in the vast majority in hating that. In this instance I thought it was pretty obvious Cora had to shake things up.
  9. Maxbialystock
    Terrific 4th by Sale after that rbi triple with no one out.
  10. Maxbialystock
    Four runs total scored in the last four games with Duran and Devers in the lineup. 5 runs today without those two. Note to vegasbob: Cora knows baseball.
  11. Maxbialystock
    Righty bat--Kike, of all people--gets the 2 run dinger! Duran and Devers are doing one terrific job cheering from the bench. Cora knows baseball.
  12. Maxbialystock
    2d inning, more sliders and changeups, but not yet the cut fastball.
  13. Maxbialystock
    Nice grab by Casas with his back to the hitter. Sale is throwing like 90% fastballs and getting away with it.
  14. Maxbialystock
    Agree. Not playing Duran and Devers helped.
  15. Maxbialystock
    Whoops! Now 3 runs in the 2d inning without Devers or Duran. Also, as I pointed out earlier, righties hit Pfaadt almost as well as lefties. Two of the three doubles thus far were by righty bats Turner and Wong. Cora knows baseball.
  16. Maxbialystock
    Devers has stunk the last 5 games. So has Duran. So Turner goes to 3b and gets a double. And Casas stays at 1b and also gets a double--and an rbi. Put Devers in today's lineup, and the Sox don't score in the 2d inning, period. Same goes for Duran. When the whole freaking team stops hitting, it's not a bad managerial move to shake things up.
  17. Maxbialystock
    Sale looks good, and the lineup continues to stink.
  18. Maxbialystock
    Tapia CF Verdugo RF Turner 3B Yoshida DH Refsnyder LF Casas 1B Kike Hernandez SS Valdez 2B Wong C 5 lefties, 4 righties, no Devers, no Duran Season to date, righties have hit (OPS .958) Pfaadt almost as well as lefties (OPS 1.003)
  19. Maxbialystock
    Back to a Realistic View of 2023, Part II-- Boston, who I figured for a losing season, is still very much in the hunt for a wild card, even with the current 4 game losing streak driven mostly by a lack of hitting--4 runs scored in 4 games. So tonight it's Sale vs Pfaadt, a 24 year old rookie with 4 starts, an ERA of 7.65--but who wasn't half bad his last two starts in which he gave up 1 run in 5 innings to the Giants and 3 runs in 5.1 innings to the Pirates. The Diamondbacks won both games. In a 162 game season, it's folly to claim the 51st game is a big deal. On the other hand, Sale is our ace--in three May starts he's pitched 21 innings while giving up 6 ER's-- and the Sox do need a win. So we need that Sale tonight, plus a lineup that finally scores some runs, and a reliable bullpen.
  20. Maxbialystock
    Oh, come off it. moonslav's signature post is a ton of stats, which are invariably interesting and helpful. Other posters do the same, but not as often or as voluminous. I rarely think of moonslav as completely right or completely wrong because I think his real value is adding to the discussion, not ending it as you seem to suggest. I also value MVP 78's contributions, especially when he disagrees with me. Speaking of whom, if you want a volunteer who will admit he is regularly "full of sound and fury, signifying nothing," I'm your guy. Somebody asked where Worcester is and I provided a paragraph on Henry Knox.
  21. Maxbialystock
    I think that's a pretty fair description of aces--although giving "the entire bullpen the night off" is a rarity these days. And yes, there are still aces out there. The problem is that "true ace" contracts are for enormous sums of money, all of it guaranteed while said "ace" is getting a new elbow and is out for two seasons. Or whatever. The Sox have in fact brought in aces (or semi-aces) successfully, proven by their contributions to WS wins in 2004, 2007, 2013, and 2018. But when the 2019 Sox collapsed, I think JH said, "no more aces, thank you." He also decided Mookie Betts next contract would be too pricey (it is) and the same for Bogey's (it also is). Devers $331M is also a gamble, but at least he's young, 26, so he might actually earn some of it.
  22. Maxbialystock
    Aces are pitchers the Sox primarily buy (vice develop) who help them win the WS, which in the JH era amount to 4. Examples: Curt Schilling--bloody sock guy who beat the Yankees and then Cardinals to end the 86 year curse. Pedro Martinez--who helped him. Josh Beckett--like Schilling, but in 2007 against Cleveland and Colorado. Jon Lester and John Lackey--not as good as the above, but useful in winning the 2013 WS Chris Sale--2018 regular season. Also David Price, Chris Porcello, Nate Eovaldi, and Craig Kimbrel. John Henry pays the bills and fired DD in 2019 after the wondrous 2018 team fell completely apart, but were still paid the biggest team salary in MLB. Since then, JH has sought to avoid big and long contracts for "aces" because of the humungous financial risk involved.
  23. Maxbialystock
    I posted almost nothing last winter (November-March). Nevertheless, my view is that the hot stove league exists for people to be as hopeful or as pessimistic as they think/feel--without fear of retribution. It's just talk. Had I talked, I probably would have been pessimistic because I was that way in March when the survey was taken. Right now I remain mildly astounded the Sox are competitive for a wild card despite being in the toughest Division in the history of MLB Divisions. About the so-called miracle of 2013. Wasn't that GM fired? Some say DD wrought the even greater miracle of 2018--and he was fired the next year. Me, I thought the 2021 postseason was a minor miracle--and I notice that GM is still here. But who knows?
  24. Maxbialystock
    Yes, he stinks. But he was useful in his past two seasons. I mean, if you think pitching the final four innings against the Rays, whom Pivetta held scoreless in 3d game of the 2021 ALDS to allow the Sox to win the game in 13 innings was useful. Or how about last month at the Trop where he pitched 5 scoreless innings against the red hot Rays? There are times--way too often--when Pivetta is so bad I think he is tipping his pitches. And there are other times when he is effective. I'm glad the Sox have not DFA'd him even though I'm not at all sure he will turn things around. Right now he is useful in the bullpen--in games in which the Sox are not expecting to win. By not starting he is in compliance with the hippocratic oath: first do no harm.
  25. Maxbialystock
    Meh. You could well be right. But this is the right thread in which to discuss the schedule ahead. And all they are saying is that in spots it will be easier than the schedule behind us. Also, a quick peek at the MLB standings suggests that in the American League the only two teams who don't seem to have a shot at the playoffs are the Royals and Athletics.
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