Maxbialystock

I would love to agree with you, but I now think Boone made the right move--as did Cora last night. In both cases the starters had vastly exceeded any reasonable expectation, especially in an era when bullpens have become so important, stocked, and used.

I agree. I left for a family dinner, but thought about my thesis and now agree both managers, Cora last night with Eovaldi and Boone today with German made the right call when they brought in Ottavino last night and Loaisiga tonight. Indeed I can remember commending Cora when he pulled Pivetta out when he was pitching a no-hitter and in fact pointed out that Eovaldi was more than happy to be pulled in that earlier game. In both cases--as well as the earlier game--the managers had good options in the bullpen. I also emphatically agree that today German had already exceeded what Boone had hoped he could do. And to his credit this year Cora has given his starters more innings/outs/pitches to his starters than other managers might have. I brought this topic up today mostly because of the example of a WS manager not long ago who pulled his starter after a terrific. scoreless 6 innings, after which his bullpen lost the game. After the game that manager said he had decided before the game that 6 innings would be his starters limit-about which I railed endlessly. On the other hand, I like others have pointed out in some games that the third time through the batting order does seem to carry considerable risks (as the statistics demonstrate). What last night and today demonstrated is that baseball has a special capacity to surprise us. Both Eovaldi and German were fantastic, but you still gotta play 9 innings--unless you're in a downpour at Yankee Stadium.

Well, I'm delighted that Boone was right after all because the Sox sure needed this win. And I guess that means Cora was right last night pulling Eovaldi because, well, the Sox just didn't deserve to win that one. And it certainly meant nothing that in his previous outing Ottavino gave up another 2 runs.

A fair point. I'm one of the culprits because I slam-dunked Porcello, which raised a lot of hackles. As for the pennant race, it's definitely a doozy, and I for one don't want Bloom to sign Porcello. Sale should be starting within 2 weeks. ERod may or may not come back, but right now Houck can fill in for him. I don't like Richards or Perez, but the Sox have certainly had worse starters. If Ottavino doesn't bounce back, that's a lot of pressure on the bullpen.

That's a good point, similar to bkzwhitestrican's The sad truth for the Yankees, however, is that Germain staying in was a much better option than bringing in Loaisiga.

Yankees. I'm satisfied the Rays are the real threat this year.

I agree there were reasons to pull Germain. On the other hand, it was just one lousy hit, the first the Sox had, and Germain was dominating the entire Sox lineup. Cora did the exactly same thing last night when Eovaldi gave up his first freaking run with two outs in the 8th inning. It was also his 100th pitch. So out he goes, and in comes the deluge. The two games are identical. Both times a terrific starter gets pulled, both times with a good lead, and the bullpen butchers it. For the Sox, it was the second straight game Ottavino butchered. For the Yankees, it was a good reliever who maybe wasn't ready.

Boone pulled his stunningly good starter (today) after he gave up his first hit. He followed the book, and the book betrayed him the same way it betrayed Cora last night when he pulled Eovaldi.

Thank Boone and his reliance on stats that tell him he must pull his starter when he gets near 100 pitches no matter how well he has been pitching. Cora made the same decision decision last night, and just like today, the bullpen gave away a good lead.

Since it was ignored, I gotta say it again. Both games, yesterday's and today's, were lost by managers who pulled their starters too soon. I believe they were guided by stats primarily and not by what they saw on the field of play. One stat says that no pitcher can succeed in the 3d or, heaven forbid, the 4th time through the opposing line up. The other is a pitch limit for starters. Both of those stats actually make sense, but not always. Right now, unfortunately, the stats dominate all decision making without regard to the dynamics of the game.

I definitely think Cora is better than Francona, but it's too soon to be sure, especially for a manager.

Ball game.

Freaking insane. I had the Sox dead, deader, deadest. And, suddenly, like a fresh breeze, the Yankees computer program, just like the Sox computer program last night, reaches into the game and snatches away a terrific pitcher and brings in one who doesn't quite have it. This computer program--which both teams use, obviously--begins with the premise that even a great pitcher like Pedro Martinez can become too familiar to opposing hitters and therefore vulnerable. Thus was Grady Little fired for not pulling him and thus have all subsequent managers believed that success depends on pulling their starter at the first sign of trouble.

That curve didn't break much and was a tad high in the zone. Thank goodness. Of course, here comes the Yankees bullpen.

Good call.

Germain has 10 K's in 7 innings, but he's also cheating.

OK, I was wrong. Germain is getting away with murder, and the umpire is letting him. He's throwing curves, for crying out loud. So this stupid no-hitter simply doesn't count.

The problem is obvious. The Sox hitters aren't swing hard enough.

Sanchez caught the Vazquez passed ball bug!

Duran and Dalbec, what a pair.

I think I saw Duran in a supporting role in the Clint Eastwood film, Trouble with the Curve--except he's much skinnier than that guy was. But he has that swing and miss down pat.

Hmmmmm. Looks like Cora wants to win this game after all. So do the Sox hitters of course. The problem is Germain and the simple fact that good pitching tops good hitting.

Not today. Today would be a good day to send Andriese in so that the fans will realize this game is over.

I think Cora will leave Perez in, not because he ain't getting hit, but because he can see the Sox bats today are dead. Why waste the bullpen in a lost cause?

5 innings, 0 hits. Good pitching beats good hitting, except when Eovaldi pitches great, goes 7.2 innings, and Ottavino gives the game away.