Maxbialystock
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Everything posted by Maxbialystock
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The good news from this game is that Cora has not used Sawamura, Ottavino, or Barnes. The bad news is that Ottavino and Barnes will be available for the night game.
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Absolutely. And that's my point. No way, no how do I see Houck going 7 innings, which means the Sox bullpen always gets a chance to give the game away. My goodness, 10 days ago Barnes--our closer who just got a big pay raise-- gave a game away on just 1 stupid pitch. He's gifted that way. And the next day, because he has only thrown 1 pitch the day before, he came back out and gave up 2 more runs, but this time needed 18 pitches to do it. Season long, Whitlock has been our best reliever, and today he was just awful.
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It's really so simple. The Yankees have a bullpen and we don't--and good pitching, especially by a bullpen, routinely beats good hitting.
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Whoops. You caught moonslav once again being the cockeyed optimist, which I have to admit is overall a good quality.
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Well said, both of you. I wanted Houck back out there because he was doing so well and because I have been suspicious of the bullpen. To be honest, I think the Sox lose this game if Houck doesn't go 7 innings while giving up no more runs. The bullpen is that bad.
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It's not babying. Houck has repeatedly shown he is ineffective the 3d time through the order. Whitlock, on the other hand, has shown he is great anytime he goes in and that he can do it for 2 or more innings. Bringing Taylor in vs. lefty Gallo was also the right move until he walked him; I would have sent Houck back out there because I thought he was pitching well and because the bullpen has gone sour recently. But I support Cora's decision. It's a simple fact that, if the bullpen is busted--and it certainly appears to be with Whitlock and Taylor stinking recently, Barnes and Ottavino the same, and Hernandez on the IL--the Sox are in big trouble the rest of the way. As I said on another thread, the rotation has averaged 4.1 innings per start this year, and the bullpen has been crucial to many of the Sox wins.
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On the other hand, given what's happened, Cora's trust in his bullpen (1 run lead with 3 innings in which bullpen must hold that lead) clearly was misplaced.
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Ball game. Sox bullpen still stinks to high heaven. Three straight walks by two different relievers. I don't question Houck not coming out for the 5th because he has stunk 3d time through the order.
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Can there be any doubt that the bullpen has either lost their stuff or their nerve or both?
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One of the things this series was supposed to help determine was how effective is the Sox bullpen. So far, downright scary.
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Wow. In comes Taylor. Cora is not messing around.
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Whitlock: right pitcher, wrong day.
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Not Barnes. He is vastly overworked. There was a huge outcry on talksox when he pitched Sunday on just 5 days rest. So I'm thinking this time he gets six days, which is this Saturday. Better would be Taylor and Whitlock or just Whitlock and Whitlock.
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So the Sox are up 3-2 with 3 innings to go for the Yankees. No question Houck should come out for the 5th, and I think he will even finish it if his command doesn't disappear again. The question, however, is, who pitches the 6th and 7th innings? Anyone? Anyone?
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I think Montgomery just got his 2d bad call.
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I like that.
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Dinger by Vazquez, who has already earned his pay behind the plate!!!!!!!
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A total of 9 hits in this game, and all are singles.
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This, despite my whining after the 2d inning, is a ball game!!!!!
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Yes, but Montgomery is obviously cheating and needs to be investigated for imparting entirely too much spin to the baseball. If I remember, rule 14b says that experienced hitters with high OPS's are entitled to hit off a T or to have the pitcher throw 85 mph fastballs with no break in them.
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Right now that splitter is every bit as good as Montgomery's changeup.
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I didn't notice, but you are no doubt correct.
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I am pretty much anti-Vazquez, but today once again I give him credit for the job he is doing with Houck.
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I think the split finger, which they will sometimes show in slow motion and before the pitcher releases it, is very close to a fork ball. A sinker is I think gripped differently, but I don't know how--but it does have about the same velocity as a fastball, whereas a splitter is about 4-5 mph slower.
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I have the impression that lefty pitchers do better against the Sox lineup--despite the fact that the Sox routinely use mostly righty bats even against righty pitchers.