Maxbialystock

Pitching is a great topic for resuming A Realistic View of 2021, part deux. Dgalehouse is adamant that the Sox have too many pitchers: right now they do in fact have 12 position players and 14 pitchers (6 starters and 8 relievers). But I think that is the right mix because you can never have too much pitching, especially when the Sox need quantity to make up for a shortfall in quality starters. In the latest (4 games) Yankees series the only starter to get a win was the Yankees Taillon. The bullpen got all 3 of the Sox wins--and last night Ottavino got the win vs. Toronto. The six starters address moonslav's big point about getting another one because, even with Sale returning (mid-August?), Eovaldi a semi-ace (WAR 3.0), and Houck looking pretty good this time up, the other four--Pivetta (the best of the worst), Perez, ERod, and Richards--do not inspire confidence. Thus too the 8 relievers (currently without Sawamura, WAR .6): Barnes (WAR 1.8), Whitlock (WAR 1.8), Ottavino (WAR .9), Valdez (WAR .5); backed up by two lefties, Taylor and Hernandez (WAR's .7 and .6), and two last resorts, Rios and Workman (.4 and .2). Plus don't forget that Cora's managing of the 2018 postseason demonstrated how starters, regardless of stature, can quickly become relievers with the only criterion being, "can he get guys out?" Also a word about the lineup. Even with a bare bones 12 position players, Cora has been able to rest all his best players and rotate beaucoup guys through CF, 2b, and 1b in an effort to find and keep the best bats and to compensate for Arroyo going on and off the IL. Right now Duran with his speed and lefty bat and reputed potential is getting a shot, just as Dalbec has all season long, Chavis has now and then, etc. But the simple fact is that Cora wants these seven (7) bats in the lineup as much as possible: Devers, JDM, Bogey, Hernandez, Verdugo, Renfroe, and Arroyo. And the 8th bat belongs to Vazquez, who has a lock on catcher (4 of 5 games) because his DWAR is 1.2 (only Hernandez's 1.5 is higher) and his OPS of .645 is par for a catcher. Thus Chavis, Dalbec, Duran, Gonzalez, Santana, and Cordero have all basically been trying out to become the 9th bat and/or fill in for Arroyo. And Hernandez, easily our best centerfielder at bat and in centerfield, gets jerked around so that Cora can keep searching for that 9th bat.

I too suffer--when "A Realistic View at 2021" devolves into an endless discussion of the greatness or ungreatness of one Rick Porcello. As for trades, the subject of this thread, I'm reluctantly in favor of them this month provided Bloom doesn't give away the farm.

A Realistic View of 2021 is no more. It's been replaced by an endless discussion of how to define Porcello statistically. dgalehouse's discussion on how to improve on ERA, ERA+, etc is spot on. Meanwhile, Verdugo is being interviewed on mlb tv, and his tattoos are in full array. And the realistic view of the Sox? They won again, again coming from behind, and are 1.5 ahead of the Rays and leading the winningest conference in MLB. They will likely be tied by the Astros for the best W-L record in the AL.

And, lo and behold, the middle of the order comes thru big time!

Thunder is tangoing! And tomorrow he's going after those french hens.

Whoever said Barnes really isn't that good a closer is absolutely right. He didn't get a single K in the 9th. What good is a save if you aren't striking guys out?

Vazquez takes himself out.

Was that Verdugo? Looks like that slump is long gone. Zoweeee!

Renfroe is so, so lucky. He tried to strike himself out in that at bat, but the pitcher wouldn't let him.

Actually, they look pretty good to me. Or did I imagine Devers, going against a righty, striking out in 4 pitches?

Gene Autry for Adam Ottavino: "back in the saddle again, back where a friend is a friend."

And the horse don't wanna be ridden.

Ottavino climbing back on the horse.

Sox top of the order (Kike, Duran, JDM) now 1 for 12. Need an 8th inning rally again, this time with the middle of the order (Devers, Renfroe, Verdugo), who are 5 for 8. Jays bullpen has been tough.

Sox #2 hitter has turned into an out machine. Yesterday 3 K's, today 3 outs (1 K). Saturday 0 for 4. Today 0 for 4. So that's 0 for 11 which would have been 0 for 12 except Cora pinch hit for him yesterday in the 8th. Of course.

Valdez's last two pitches were both changeups in the middle of the zone with not much break. One was a single for Guerrero and the other was a line drive to SS for a double play. Lucky Valdez.

Well, Hatch just did about the same thing to Devers, but needed more pitches.

I like that Duran has a good eye for the strike zone, but not that opposing pitchers can throw him fastballs with impunity. Last four at bats, all K's. This at bat was three straight fastballs, two of them right down the middle.

Nope. Tonight is strike avoidance night.

All migraines aren't equal, and some can be very debilitating.

Good stuff. Thanks.

If the recent Yankees series tells us nothing else, it tells us that pitching matchups aren't all the predictive. Cole should have killed the Sox Friday, even more so when ERod left the game with no outs and two on in the 2d freaking inning. Nope. Bring-up Valdez was incredible for 3 innings, and Rios, Whitlock, Hernandez, and yes, even Workman, finished the job--giving up 1 run in 8 innings. Eovaldi had a big edge Saturday night and pitched very well, but Ottavino gave the farm away. Yesterday, I would have given the edge to Perez over part-timer German, but German was fantastic. Fortunately, he could not pitch 9--or even 8-- innings, and the Sox came back huge against Loaisiga. And way back on Thursday, Montgomery should have had edge over Houck and did in fact out-pitch him--slightly. But the Sox won 6-2 despite Ottavino giving up 2 runs in the 8th (as he did again Saturday night).

Interesting.

I disagree, but also recognize Bloom and Cora will be cautious. Yes, certainly, it would be great for Sale to jump in soon and bolster the rotation. On the other hand, these guys have done awfully well without him, and September 1 could both ensure his rehab has worked (he can start a MLB game safely) and bring him in when the pennant race is at its hottest.

Hernandez SS Duran CF JDM DH Devers 3b Renfroe RF Verdugo LF Vazquez C Cordero 1b Chavis 2b Four lefty bats, no Bogie, no Dalbec. In the big 8th inning rally yesterday, Verdugo doubled, Renfroe doubled, Vazquez singled, Cordero singled, and Hernandez doubled. All five are in today's lineup, but so is Duran, who K'd three times and was pinch-hit for (by Plawecki). Hernandez named AL Player of the week. Sale went 3.2 in 2d AA start and gave up 2 runs, 6 hits, 1 HBP, no walks. He threw 64 pitches, 46 strikes (of which Sale said too many were in the center of the zone). He felt/feels strong, but was not happy with his slider or changeup. Fastball topped at 96 mph. So maybe not back by August 1.