Maxbialystock

Good thing Cora is managing. Actually, out managing Cash.

Wow.

Yeah. Really, really tough job defending Cora. With one good starter he is 3-1 in the postseason and the Sox have the lowest ERA, 3.92, of 5 AL postseason teams. Next best AL team ERA is 5.88, the Astros.

Can’t disagree.

Sox postseason OPS is .937. Next best is Astros, .762. Rays are .707.

Postseason to date, the Rays have turned 6 DP's. Next most is 3. Sox have 1 DP.

You mean like Sale? I'm kidding, of course, but the Rays are more than happy against a starter who throws caution to the winds and throws to the center of the zone. They love swinging at fat first pitches. To succeed, ERod needs to not over-rely on his four-seamer, to use his slider, changeup, and cut fastball, to have good action on all those pitches, and to have good command. He did something like that September 2 at the Trop and went 6 innings while giving up 0 runs. The Rays lineup was Arozarena, Cruz, Franco, Diaz, Margot, Lowe, Zunino, Luplow, and Walls.

I kind of like him too because two nights ago the Sox nailed him for 2 dingers and 3 runs.

Thanks for the "not untrue." And yes, it is funny because Cora is playing Cash's game, only better--so far. McHugh tonight is a classic non-starter, a reliever whose job is to mislead the opposing team and manager. He replaced starter Baz Friday night and the Sox hammered him for 2 dingers and 3 runs. ERod, despite my continual whining, is a real starter with beaucoup innings this year and a pretty good August and September. He did, however, choke big-time 4 days ago in game 1, lasting just 1.2 innings, throwing 41 pitches, and giving up 2 walks, a double, a single and 2 runs before Richards got that 1 out followed by Pivetta's 4.2 innings. Jacksonianmarch says the Rays will kill any lefty starter, and they sure did that in games 1 and 2 of this ALDS, but his ERA, 4.71, vs the Rays is better than his seasonal ERA (over 5). So I think the Sox have the edge on starters for however long they last. Both staffs pitched 13 (actually, 12.1 for the Rays) hard fought innings last night, but Cora only overused one guy, Pivetta. He pretty much has the rest of the bullpen if the game looks winnable. I think he will hold Houck out unless he has a real shot at this game. But Whitlock could 3 innings, Brasier 1 or 2, even Robles. All that said, I agree with Schwarber's comment last night. This Series is far from over. Plenty of hard work remains to be done.

Possible, but unlikely. Rays are tough vs lefties. And I think ERod is scared.

Agree. Game 1 vs McClanahan is an example of a Sox mop up game.

Mongo say, Nate good, Gerrit bad.

1. Brasier has been basically a one inning guy since he came back. 2. Davis is a lefty brought in to get one out, which he did. 3. Robles had 18 straight relief appearances without giving up a run and was the best choice to pitch the 8th. If you want to gripe about what he did in this game, you might as well go ahead and blame Cora for leaving Sale in for all of the first freaking inning on Friday. Who won that game by the way? And who won last night? 4. Whitlock has been the Sox best reliever by far, but the rule of recency suggested caution. He missed a bunch of games, then came back last Tuesday and gave up a dinger to the Yankees. Besides, Pivetta replaced him and pitched 4 scoreless innings. 5. And try this on for size. The postseason stats say the Sox, who have exactly one decent starter, Eovaldi, have the lowest ERA, 3.92, of the five (including the Yankees) AL teams in the postseason. 2d best are the Astros at 5.88, and they've only had to play 3 games and no extra innings. The Sox pitching staff have pitched 40 innings in the postseason to the Rays 31 and the Astros and White Sox 27 innings. So to me it is unthinkable to claim Cora hasn't handled his bullpen brilliantly. 6. This Sox-Rays ALDS is a long way from over. Eovaldi and Pivetta are kind of used up. ERod and Sale both stink. Cora still has Houck and will need Whitlock, Brasier, Taylor, et al, to get one more win. Meanwhile, Cash still has McClanahan and his bullpen.

And you think the Sox haven't gone to "a bullpen game?" They've played 4 postseason games, and the bullpen has been crucial in all of them. The Sox have played 41 postseason innings, and the bullpen has pitched 27 of them--almost 7 innings per game.

Since a bunch of talksoxers seem to be reading-impaired, please just look at para 5 above.

All good thoughts, especially about Devers.

1. Brasier has been basically a one inning guy since he came back. 2. Davis is a lefty brought in to get one out, which he did. 3. Robles had 18 straight relief appearances without giving up a run and was the best choice to pitch the 8th. If you want to gripe about what he did in this game, you might as well go ahead and blame Cora for leaving Sale in for all of the first freaking inning on Friday. Who won that game by the way? And who won last night? 4. Whitlock has been the Sox best reliever by far, but the rule of recency suggested caution. He missed a bunch of games, then came back last Tuesday and gave up a dinger to the Yankees. Besides, Pivetta replaced him and pitched 4 scoreless innings. 5. And try this on for size. The postseason stats say the Sox, who have exactly one decent starter, Eovaldi, have the lowest ERA, 3.92, of the five (including the Yankees) AL teams in the postseason. 2d best are the Astros at 5.88, and they've only had to play 3 games and no extra innings. The Sox pitching staff have pitched 40 innings in the postseason to the Rays 31 and the Astros and White Sox 27 innings. So to me it is unthinkable to claim Cora hasn't handled his bullpen brilliantly. 6. This Sox-Rays ALDS is a long way from over. Eovaldi and Pivetta are kind of used up. ERod and Sale both stink. Cora still has Houck and will need Whitlock, Brasier, Taylor, et al, to get one more win. Meanwhile, Cash still has McClanahan and his bullpen.

Kind of the way I see it. The ALDS is a long way from over. Bellhorn04 has a good point, but he ignores the rule of recency. I do think ERod simply choked last Thursday and could do better tonight. Sale, on the other hand, appears to have lost his changeup and his upper 90's fastball and has become quite hittable. He was lousy vs. both the Nats and the Rays.

Sam Johnson says that a two-way player is like a dog walking on its hind legs. It's not a question of how well they do it, one is astonished they do it at all. Yes, Ohtani is the exception. Ditto Babe Ruth. Not a very big club.

Yup. If game 4 is winnable--the Sox have a late lead--then go for it.

Hard to know what I meant. Is today Tuesday?

Meh. Yes, they cheated on sign-stealing, but so did the Sox and the ringleader Dustin Pedroia. Do you hate him too? I don't hate the Astros because they are a good franchise with some good players. Stealing signs was dumb and I'm glad they were caught and punished. I also don't hate the Yankees.

Then you need to root like crazy for the Rays because Bloom's throw-together Sox, despite being weighed down paying for guys who are no longer on the team, look like they might--horror of horrors--get to the ALCS. Oh, and he hired Cora. And JH of course told him not not to cross the luxury tax line.

I'm darned if I can see any plate discipline by the Sox, but agree Schwarber has been a great asset.

Just lucky, that's all.