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Maxbialystock

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Everything posted by Maxbialystock

  1. Maxbialystock
    Oh, stop it. The Sox and Cora right now are playing with house money because two weeks ago none of us thought the Sox would get to the ALCS. And right now, until proven otherwise, the Sox have the upper hand in pitching, especially if McCullers can't start game 3. I would never disagree that the Astros are still a threat and can win this ALCS. They've had good pitching and hitting all season long. On the other hand, so did the Rays. Plus, against us, the Rays had the big advantage of not having to beat the Yankees in the wild card two days before starting the ALDS.
  2. Maxbialystock
    It absolutely is not luck. In fact, having three long relievers available borders on genius. By my count Cora has used at least five relievers that way: Whitlock, Valdez, Richards, Houck, and finally Pivetta. Richards was semi-OK as a starter before going south, then came back brilliantly as a reliever, and finally couldn't make the cut for the season roster with a huge 13 arm pitching contingent. Sale came back and did well, but then had two lousy starts against the Nats and the Rays. In both games Cora had no hesitation in pulling him early.
  3. Maxbialystock
    Meh. Flores was doomed going against Scherzer, who had an 0-2 count on him before that call.
  4. Maxbialystock
    Whattalotta. That was Scherzer on the mound and spineless, useless Flores at the plate with 2 outs and a man on 1b. The 1b ump was being merciful with that call because Flores was in all instances doomed to be the final out of this NLDS.
  5. Maxbialystock
    Yeah, Cora is just plain old lucky. Or just maybe he sends Pivetta or Houck or Whitlock out there with the intention of going multiple innings, but with the ability to pull them if they don't have it. That's exactly what he did with two starters, Sale and ERod. Interestingly, Cora sent Pivetta in to pitch 4.2 innings in game 1 and then him sent back out in game 3 to pitch 4 more innings. He did the exact same thing with Houck going 5 innings in game 2 and coming back to pitch the 6th inning in game 4. However, Houck gave up that dinger in the 6th, so out came Taylor to pitch a perfect 7th. Unfortunately, Brasier pitched an awful 8th, giving up 2 runs, and Whitlock had to pitch the 8th and 9th to get the win.
  6. Maxbialystock
    Smoltz is an idiot. I don't disagree about the danger of a succession of one inning relievers, but Smoltz obviously didn't watch games 2 and 3 of the ALDS in which first Houck and then Pivetta went multiple innings--plus Pivetta went multiple innings in game 1. Whitlock has shown he can go multiple innings. Indeed, Eovaldi, ERod, and Sale started five games in the postseason and pitched a total of 18 innings. Pivetta, Houck, and Whitlock started no games in the postseason and pitched a total of 20 innings. Funny thing about those 6 inning starts. You like them, I like them, and MLB statisticians like them because you can't have a quality start unless you go 6 innings. But managers are increasingly leery of keeping their starters out there for the third time through the opposing team's lineup, especially a good lineup.
  7. Maxbialystock
    Yes, of course, the Sox should want to go 2-0 in Houston, but Thunder doesn't rule that out. Indeed, the hope is that, if Sale is back to his earlier self this season, the Sox can win both games in Houston. That said, I have no disagreement with your wanting Eovaldi to start game 1. He is our ace, period. He throws harder than Sale and has a much better repertoire. On the other hand, the Astros haven't faced Sale since 2018 and back in June they hit Eovaldi pretty hard. Plus almost all of us trust Cora's decisions and know that he will be ready to bring in the bullpen early and often if necessary.
  8. Maxbialystock
    A change-up story. The 1954 NY Giants had a pretty good pinch-hitter, Dusty Rhodes, who, however, was known to struggle hitting changeups. He once even said that, if he went up against a team of Eskimos, one of them would claim, "can't hit the change." In the 1954 World Series against the Guardians, Rhodes hit two dingers, both off of change-ups.
  9. Maxbialystock
    Yep. I gotta agree on Sawamura over Barnes right now, also D.Hernandez over Davis. Cora is sensibly staying with 13 pitchers despite the days off in the ALCS. Besides, who else you going to add to the lineup players? If JDM had not injured his ankle, Cora would have used the nine bats for all 5 postseason games: Kike, Schwarber, Bogey, Devers, JDM, Verdugo, Renfroe, Vazquez, Arroyo--with tweaks in the batting order. Santana is a versatile backup, Dalbec is good for first base, especially with a late lead, Shaw can pinch hit, and Plawecki is the 2d catcher.
  10. Maxbialystock
    Realism is called for in this case. I think Sale has recaptured his changeup in the bullpen--which is crucial to his repertoire, especially against righty bats--but will watch tonight's game with bated breath.
  11. Maxbialystock
    "Golden" dates you, as it does me. But there can be no doubt that Sale is much better when his changeup is working. That said, three short years ago Sale started game 1 of the ALCS against the Astros and went 4 innings and 2 ER's. He did not start another game vs. the Astros even though game 5 was 5 days later. Price, the game 2 starter, started game 5.
  12. Maxbialystock
    Can't argue with that. Indeed, the Sox won Sale's last start in which he gave up 5 runs in the 1st inning.
  13. Maxbialystock
    What I have read is that Sale rediscovered his best stuff in bullpen sessions. One presumes that means his changeup, which is crucial to his success.
  14. Maxbialystock
    I stand corrected, as always. It was, however, one heckuva NLDS.
  15. Maxbialystock
    I like Sale and Cora a lot, but will watch tonight's game with bated breath.
  16. Maxbialystock
    2011 team totally collapsed in September, but I don't recall that being caused by injuries. They had picked up Carl Crawford who bombed, but Ellsbury had a career year which he never came close--before or after 2011--to duplicating and which caused the Yankees to stupidly offer him a ridiculous contract. That September collapse cost Francona his job. Trading those three guys in 2012 was a solid move and probably led--along with firing Valentine and hiring Farrell as the manager--to the success of 2013.
  17. Maxbialystock
    Love it!
  18. Maxbialystock
    Good point. However, like our Sox, the Dodgers had to play and win the wild card game before taking on the Giants. The Rays and Giants both failed to exploit a real advantage in setting up their pitching.
  19. Maxbialystock
    Meh. It's gotta be 2004 for three reasons: the Sox were wild cards, which gave the Angels, Yankees, and Cardinals home field advantage; the Sox had to come from 3 games down to the Yankees to win the ALCS; the Sox had to overcome the curse.
  20. Maxbialystock
    2013 is flukish only because the Sox pitching was so great in the postseason--an insane ERA of 2.59. Lester went 34.2 innings with an ERA of 1.56. Lackey 26 innings and 2.77, plus he won than pitching duel against Verlander, 1-0. And of course Uehara pitched 13.2 innings with an ERA of .66. The Sox lineup meanwhile had a cumulative OPS of .664, but did get some timely hits, especially from Ortiz and Victorino.
  21. Maxbialystock
    About Sale vs. Valdez tonight. I prefer Eovaldi, but trust Cora, who says Sale rediscovered his best stuff in some bullpen sessions. Valdez was really tough vs. the Sox June 8 @ Houston and June 2 @ Fenway: 14.1 innings, 2 ER's, 18 K's, 2 BB's. He went 4.1 vs. the White Sox a week ago and gave up 4 runs. And a week before that he went 5 vs. the A's, also giving up 4 runs. But he pitched 24 innings in September with an ERA of 3.28. Both teams have rested bullpens, so the edge in starters may not mean much. Both teams are hitting well in the postseason.
  22. Maxbialystock
    It was a great NLDS, one of the best ever. I rooted for the Giants but think the better team won.
  23. Maxbialystock
    Every season has its surprises, but this one is memorable in that regard. First half, mostly winning despite low expectations before the season started, second half mostly treading water (.500). Then in September winning 7 straight, then losing 5 of 6 to the Yankees and Orioles, then turning right around and winning 3 of 3 at the Nats (no DH), beating the Yankees and Cole 6-2 in the wild card game, and taking 3 of 4 from the 100 games-winning Rays in the ALDS. Astounding. Right now, before game one of the ALCS--which a month ago seemed completely out of reach--the Sox have a real shot at the World Series because their lineup is fearsome, their defense is almost decent, and their pitching looks a tad better than the Astros. All that is true despite the fact that the Astros run differential this season was +205 to the Sox +80. Still, you gotta play the games, and the Astros are a tough out.
  24. Maxbialystock
    The Sox were 54-32 on July 5, seemingly headed for 102 wins, but played .500 the rest of the year, so I think you have to grant that some pessimism was warranted. That said, one of your regular comments all season long was that every team had its weaknesses, and my thought is that Cora is especially good at working around those weaknesses. Bloom helped when he picked up Schwarber and Robles and much later Iglesias, who's sitting out the postseason. I do not think the Sox postseason upswing--taking 4 of 5 games from the Yankees and Rays--just luck because right now Cora has the best lineup he's had all season. With Schwarber at 1b, he can even keep his "good outfield" of Dugo, Kike, and Renfroe. And, when the rotation has faltered, Cora has gotten good use out of long relievers like Valdez, Houck, Richards, Whitlock of course, and now in the postseason Pivetta. Houck and Pivetta were huge in relief in games 2 and 3 of the ALDS.
  25. Maxbialystock
    The Sox were 54-32 on July 5, seemingly headed for 102 wins, but played .500 the rest of the year, so I think you have to grant that some pessimism was warranted. That said, one of your regular comments all season long was that every team had its weaknesses, and my thought is that Cora is especially good at working around those weaknesses. Bloom helped when he picked up Schwarber and Robles and much later Iglesias, who's sitting out the postseason. The Sox postseason upswing--taking 4 of 5 games from the Yankees and Rays--is not luck no matter how many times espn and others bring up that ground rule double in the 13th inning of game 3. In fact, right now Cora has the best lineup he's had all season. With Schwarber at 1b, he can even keep his "good outfield" of Dugo, Kike, and Renfroe. His pitching, however, is less than ideal, what with ERod and Sale crapping out in games 1 and 2. Enter, stage right, Cora's long relievers--no longer Valdez and Richards, but Whitlock and especially Houck and Pivetta, both former starters. The latter two were crucial to the game 2 and game 3 wins.
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