Maxbialystock

WAR +1.5 in 57 games. Agree.

Not all game threads, just some. Don't forget, you've started a few yourself. Last night was pretty close to the worst I've ever read. Infuriating. But guess what? We all have the choice of just watching the game. And it was a pretty neat game: great quality start by Pivetta, yet again (he has 9, tied for 12th most in MLB); great SS play by Arroyo plus 3 hits and 3 rbi's, who was subbing so Bogey could get back to back days off; 2 hits and a dinger by Devers after back to back days off; a non-error by Duran which kept getting replayed; a clean 8th inning by Schreiber; and an absolutely frightening 9th inning by Houck, who nevertheless got one of the best hitters in MLB to ground out to end the game with the bases loaded and the score 6-3. I like forward to tonight's game.

In the movie Fever Pitch, near the end there's a scene with three of the guys (including Jimmy Fallon) sitting at a bar after the Sox have lost 3 straight to the Yankees in the ALCS. They notice Varitek and one or two others eating dinner, smiling, chatting, etc, and Fallon is outraged they can do that after losing. But then comes the realization: they had done their best and now it was time to put that game behind them. In fact, I think it was Terry Francona who said--not in the movie but in real life--after that game that the Red Sox did not need to win 4 straight. They just needed to win the next game.

Let me be frank and say I saw no reason for patience with Arroyo. Last night for me was revelatory. Yeah, the hits were great, especially in the 9 spot, but he made a lot of plays at SS and one of them was just really heady, getting that guy who barely overran 2B, but just enough to get tagged. The only credit I can claim is that I'm not freaking blind. Arroyo had one heckuva game at bat and in the field.

I have my doubts about Houck, but so far he has been without question our best closer.

I'm not sold on Hill even though I think his experience is valuable. To me he doesn't have enough pitches and/or command of the ones he has. However, I do think Winckowski could be the 5th starter, in which case maybe Whitlock goes back to the bullpen. I also think that Sale, despite his stunning career as a starter, remains a question mark. Last year, after extensive rehab, he struggled as a starter: 12 starts (including the postseason), 51.2 innings, 4.1 innings/start.

I wouldn't be confident with Kimbrel coming into the 9th inning vs. this year's Yankees with a 2 run lead, let alone 1. I do now agree you've wanted Whitlock to close all along, but must state again why I agree with Cora's use of him-- 1. Whitlock has never been a closer. Thus Bellhorn's telling comment that right now that Schreiber has moved rapidly up the trust ladder. Whitlock has never been on that ladder leading up to closing. 2. Whitlock was a great Rule 5 steal by Bloom precisely because of how he was used last year--almost never as a closer, but as a long reliever (73 innings in 46 games) and short reliever. His WAR was a stunning +2.9. 3. He has an excellent repertoire, which is why I think it's right to give him a shot at starting. Starters eat innings, or didn't you watch last night's game or any of Pivetta's other Quality Starts (he's had 9)? Closers do not eat innings, and, as I like to remind you, the rules of MLB allow opposing teams to score in all 9 innings (or more). That is in fact how the Sox won last night's game--they outscored the Guardians before the 9th inning. 4. Just my opinion, but I think the best closers have these attributes: two terrific pitches--fast ball (faster is better but Uehara's was like 88 mph) and breaking ball (knuckle curve, splitter, whatever); great command; fearlessness. This is Whitlock's second MLB season ever, so I don't think he has yet acquired great command or fearlessness, plus I think he prefers to use--as he should--that entire repertoire.

Are you nuts? Are you completely and utterly crazy???? Never, ever suggest on talksox that Whitlock should start again because the Sox are knee deep in great starters and in dire need of relievers, especially closers.

Agree. And I count myself is one of the impatient fans.

That makes sense to me.

I do not disagree with "plenty of shots" and probably should have said "one more shot." The point remains that it paid off big time. I have been as anti-Arroyo as most have been, but I'm always happy to revise my opinion. Arroyo did not have a terrible season last year and in fact was a pretty useful utility player with an overall WAR of +1.5 in 57 games.

Cora gave Arroyo a shot by giving Bogaerts back to back days off, and it really paid off. Sometimes we have to recognize there's some method to Alex's proclaimed (by some, not me) madness. Arroyo could not have had a better game, what with three hits, including a dinger, and three rbi's, plus playing a faultless SS which included a brilliant tag of the Cleveland baserunner who very briefly lost contact with the bag. Arroyo is 27 and in his 6th MLB season with a cumulative WAR of +1.6, largely the result of last year's +1.5 in 57 games with an OPS of .769. This season those numbers are -0.4 and .623. Based on last year, Bloom/Cora might be tempted to keep Arroyo another season if they believe/know Bogey is headed elsewhere.

Speaking of the bullpen, last night was a little scary. Pivetta went 7 giving up 2 for his ninth quality start, which tied him for 12th in MLB. The leaders (Musgrove, Valdez, and Manoah) each have 12. QS ain't the best stat, but it does suggest a pitcher that held his own for 2/3 of a game and almost certainly pitched to the opposing lineup into the third time around. In this instance, Pivetta was working on his 4th time through Cleveland's lineup. Then in came Schreiber for an absolutely clean 8th inning against Cleveland's 3d (Jose Ramirez), 4th, and 5th hitters. The 9th should have been a piece of cake with a 4 run lead and facing Cleveland's 6th, 7th, and 8th batters, but turned into Friday the 13th with Houck, our newly anointed, no-baloney closer, in the role of Freddy Krueger. He did finally get the last out--a groundout by the great Jose Ramirez with the bases freaking loaded and the score now 6-3--which I think showed some grit. But of course it wasn't a save because he came in with that 4 run lead. Houck is, I think, probably the best choice right now for closer despite the fact that he can in fact be hit--he's given up 41 in 45 innings. But he leads the Sox in saves with 5 and has no blown saves. So to me this is a measure of what Chaim Bloom has provided Alex Cora. Nine Sox relievers have had save opportunities and Houck is hands down the best. Houck, we should remember, has also started, sometimes successfully, and been used as a long reliever. His WAR is +.8, tied with DAvis and Whitlock for 5th best on the Sox, and his 45.1 innings are the most of any Sox reliever.

Yep. Yes, I did mean BDC, boston.com

Interesting seeing Francona managing a game in which his bullpen failed him. Boy, do I remember that happening when he was in Boston. Despite managing the WS that broke the 86 year curse and then winning a 2d WS, it never failed--when a reliever blew a lead there was a cry on boston.com to get rid of the idiot manager. I remember once writing that the standard for any good manager was simple: win every single game or else.

At this point I think he's hard to define. Thus a few cries tonight to make Whitlock the closer. While I think Whitlock is the better pitcher, I'm less sure he would be a better closer. Houck does not get the save tonight because he came in with a 4 run lead.

Terrific first road win vs. Cleveland.

Houck definitely scared the piss out of us, but he never quit and got that final out against one of the best hitters in MLB--and with the bases loaded yet.

Good at bat by Verdugo, great grab by Giminez.

Six BB's by Cleveland so far--Sox are 0 for 7 with RISP. Now 0 for 8.

Arroyo 3 for 3, including that 2 run dinger (and 3 rbi's), plus a faultless SS. When Cora gives this best guys days off, he also gives his part-timers opportunities, which is really the only way a manager can "pay" them. And sometimes they do take advantage of the opportunities.

Pivetta is the man. 7 innings!!!

Was it Old Red who says Story is like the short fielder in slow pitch? He's that and a terrific infielder.

Pivetta is one tough hombre. Down 3-0 in the count and gets a K.

Also a great move by Cora giving Bogey back to back days off. Arroyo has played a faultless SS (very alert tag on the guy overrunning 2b) and hit a 2 runs dinger.