Maxbialystock

Seabold vs. Thompson One game at a time.

Devers and JDM K in the 9th in a close game after rookie Duran leads off with a double. That's after closer Houck gives up a run in the bottom of the 8th. Defense stunk throughout the game. So did the hitting, but especially Devers with the GIDP with men on 1st and 3d and no one out to go along with the 2 K's. JDM continues his slump. Ditto Story. Bogey's trying to start one. Interesting that the two best Sox players in the game are the rookies, Winckowski and Duran. The veterans can't be bothered. There is something wrong with this team.

JDM has to be the happiest man on the face of the earth. If Raffy gets a single or walk, the pressure would be on JDM, and right now pressure is the last thing he needs. He probably gave Raffy a slap on the back for saving him.

Not Raffy's fault. Cora is the one who insisted on having him play 3b and bat 2d. Cora probably should have had Raffy bunting to avoid the GIDP even if JDM was on deck.

yup.

Wrong! It was a terrific bunt that went way down the 3d base line. The replay shows the throw got there about the same time as the runner.

You apparently skipped last night's game thread. Even though just 1 of 5 Sox pitchers did well, Cora never should have used four of them (or should have pulled Hill when he insisted he was unhurt, etc). The lineup scoring just 1 run--after that flaky rally, built on a walk and an HBP in the 2d inning--for the last 7 innings? Cora's fault. JBJ's double in the 2d? All JBJ. Sawamura's good relief job? All Sawamura. In fact, I think they should have a player's meeting to figure out how to win games while combatting Cora's ongoing effort to sabotage this team.

Well, I've defended Bloom and Cora, but no longer. This mess tonight is entirely on them. First and foremost, those K's by JDM and Bogey with a man on 2d are entirely because Bloom has refused to give them the contracts they deserve. Devers error to put a man on 2b with no out? Same deal. And where does Cora get the idea that this rookie pitcher--I mean the name Winckowski says it all--should be starting ahead of Sale, who didn't need another start in Portland? Sale never would have given up those soft rollers down the 3b line and would have easily fielded one of them. My eyes have been opened. It is obvious the Sox players, who have 2 hits and no runs--while the Cubs have no hits and 2 runs--simply don't care. And it's absolutely not their fault just as none of their stinking play last night was their fault.

Agree. Also agree Thunder has made a heckuva point to/for us out-of-towners. The NYY GM probably has a similar understanding. I have always thought Chaim Bloom has to balance competing demands. DD, on the other hand, pretty much had a free hand to spend money and offer up prospects. He produced a great season, 2018, so I need to dampen my urge to criticize.

He probably did relook his rationale and realized it wasn't rational.

Cora talked to him earlier in the season and convinced him HR's are just not needed. He might strike out going for the fences. See the OP: Cora is managing this team to lose.

I always thought Cora was exceptional, but never realized he didn't want to win games. Thanks for the insight.

Iggy's DWAR to date is -0.2. His OPS is .720.

Thought the exact same thing after last night's game. In the write-up by Ian Browne, Hill blamed himself completely for the 5th because he flat told Cora he was fine when he wasn't. Cora said Robles was excellent in his first 8 games, but now his breaking stuff is too flat even though his velocity is still good. He also said that guys--meaning relievers--must contribute. Robles is the 4th highest paid reliever on the Sox @ $2.5M. If you read me on the game thread I named a bunch of culprits for the loss: Hill for staying in, Danish for walking in the 3d run, Robles for being awful and getting charged with 3 runs, Diekman for the wild pitch which brought the 6th and winning run for the Cubs, and the lineup for scoring 1 run in the final 7 innings. I also pointed out that the 3 runs in the 2d for the Sox depended on a walk and an HBP by the Cubs starter. I left out that the Sox pitchers had 10 BB's in the game, including 4 by Hill and 3 by Robles. So of course I blame the players far more than Cora's decisions. That said, at the end of the season (or earlier), managers are graded on wins vs. expectations.

Robles had some help. Hill gave up the first 3 runs with Danish's help. Then Robles the next three runs with Diekman's help. The Cubs helped the Sox get their big 3 run rally in the 2d with the that error and walk before JBJ's double. And the Sox lineup helped the Cubs by getting 1 stinking run in the final 7 innings. Devers, JDM, and Bogey barely showed up. Vazquez and the 3d base coach squandered an out.

Coming up in the 9th: Refsnyder, Duran, and Devers. All of them hit well in June and all of them have hits in this game (Duran has 2).

Coming into this game Sawamura--surprise, surprise--had the 4th best WAR, +.4, in the bullpen and a June ERA of 2.16. He's been coming back from his earlier struggles.

Who? Bogey and JDM?

Did Hill grimace after he fell when he made that great play to get the last out in the 3d? If so, he then threw a perfectly clean 4th inning. Then the wheels came off in the 5th when he gave up a walk and a triple, got an out, then walked Contreras, mound visit, then a single to Happ, then an HBP. Somewhere in there I can agree Hill maybe should have been pulled sooner, but then of course, Danish wasn't much use, ditto Robles, ditto Diekman. Also, let's talk about the lineup and that brilliant hitting in the 2d to get 3 runs and a 4-0 lead. Story reached on an error, Cordero singled, and Vazquez got walked before JBJ hit the double. Translation: Sampson helped our guys. Since then, 1 stinking run in 6 innings. Top of the 8th, Dugo singles, and Story, Cordero, and Vazquez all strike out. So let's blame that on Cora as well. Wrong lineup. Ultimately, of course, every MLB manager stays or goes based on wins and losses and the expectations of his bosses.

When was the grimace, and what caused it?

7th inning, lost the 4-0 lead, now down 6-5, and in comes our 4th reliever, Sawamura, who gives up a leadoff double in the 7th.

Ahem. Agree Robles stinks. His WAR is the 2d worst on the pitching staff. -.4 before today but now probably -.5 of worse. But consider. We have now seen THREE FREAKIN RELIEVERS get 4 outs while giving up 4 runs (Danish gave up the 4th with bases loaded BB), and all three stunk, including Diekman with his gratuitous WP to give up a run, followed by a BB before the final out. On another thread I have argued the bullpen ain't half bad, but clearly I was wrong. We are in the first game of 17 straight games without a break. So pardon me for saying so, but these relievers need to contribute. And, while I am the mood for casting the first stone, Hill with his four freaking walks and 3 ER's didn't help much either.

He sure did.

My error for not mentioning the 3b coach.

Vazquez once again demonstrates his inability to adapt his baserunning aptitude (or lack thereof) to the situation on the field.