Maxbialystock

More and more I get the impression that other teams are fine with singles--and get results--while the Sox are bitten with homeritis. Pivetta let getting to 1b, but still in time. Renfroe did not need to make that throw--no chance of getting him. I think he forgot it was 2 outs, so the runner on 1b was going with the crack of the bat.

A little like watching Barnes: knuckle curve, fastball, knuckle curve, fast ball, etc. Now a slider, which Barnes doesn't need this year.

Thanks. I have the sound off I did not know what Gonzalez left.

Nice get by Bogey! Why is Pivetta acting as though he were going for a no-hitter?

Dalbec in for Marwin. Hmmm. Love those 1 pitch groundouts when our guy is pitching. Knuckle curve uber alles.

Lengthy treatises have been written about the importance of first pitch strikes and how the pitcher can build on one. Bogey swung at a first pitch fastball/sinker and parked it. Gonzalez observed his, then observed another lower, and finally swung at a changeup out of the zone.

$9M/year. Good money.

Thunder picked a great day to head for the Fens.

I had no idea Harper was that good in the outfield. Plus a great throw back to the infield.

A grounder with eyes!

3 years?

So Girardi's going with a little bait and switch. Interesting.

Gotta love it when a Sox hitter goes after a first pitch strike and nails it!

How much did Barnes sign for?

Knuckle curve by Pivetta working well and against a lefty hitter (Gregorius).

Talk about a contrast in approaches. Pivetta is throwing everything at the top or in the middle of the zone. Finally, low and away for the K.

Hard to drill one out when the pitches are all at the bottom of the strike zone or below.

Now doing it to JDM, 4 straight at the bottom, 3 strikes (2 swung at). 5 out of 6 at the bottom of the zone or below, leading to a harmless ground out.

Yesterday or the day before the WEEI guys were commenting it's been awhile since Verdugo hit a dinger. Yesterday and today again fly outs suggesting he's sure trying to get one up and out. I wish he would go for line drives and not worry about the home run count.

4 straight pitches in the bottom of the zone against Hernandez. All close. Red Sox pitchers are simply not able to do that.

Dalbec benched again against a righty starter. 3 K's yesterday.

1, 2, 3 in the top of the 1st. All ground outs. Pivetta has a good mix of pitches, but I haven't seen a changeup yet.

Agree with both you and bellhorn. I like to debate, but I am also convinced Cora is freaking brilliant. It the Sox were ahead 3-2, Ottavino probably would have gotten the nod in the 8th. As it turned out, the Sox never did score that 3d run, and today Cora has both Ottavino and Barnes. I'd like to say he also has the indomitable Andriese, but sadly he is on the IL.

What is with this "chill out?" The game was last night, and this is the post mortem part of the game thread. I'm simply saying I expected to see Ottavino on the mound in the 8th inning which is actually pretty normal for the Cora this year. Plus he is much better against righty bats than is Taylor. The one argument I would buy that hasn't been advanced is that the Sox were going to lose this game regardless of who was on the mound because the hitters simply weren't hitting. The box score says the Sox were 0 for 6 with RISP. Vazquez scored the Sox 2d run way, way back in the 3d inning when Knapp's pickoff throw went wild. However, Cora did not manage the bullpen as though he thought winning was not in the cards. Thus Sawamura in to finish the 4th and pitch the 5th, Whitlock (statistically the Sox best reliever) to pitch the 6th and 2 outs in the 7th, Taylor to get the last man, Harper, in the 7th, which he did with a great pickoff move, and bringing Taylor back out to get Harper in the 8th. I hasten to add I agreed with all of those moves by Cora. But I still think bringing Ottavino in after Harper got on base was the best move if we think the game was winnable at that point.

While I can agree keeping Taylor on the mound in the 8th was not an egregious error, I have presented some pretty good stats which show that Ottavino was the better choice after Taylor, who is a lot better vs. lefties than righties, gave up that leadoff single to Harper in the 8th. Not only is Ottavino better against righties, but he sort of owns the 8th inning in close games and even gets to close games, which Taylor has not been asked to do this season.