Maxbialystock

Mookie, Beni, JDM, and Devers all look like they have regressed to t ball tonight, except the pitcher is actually throwing the ball.

Meh. Bottom of the order was an endless complaint last year, and the Sox led MLB in runs and OPS. It's less good right now because Betts, JDM, Beni, etc are well below their 2018 numbers. But they are scoring as much as the Yankees. Rotation is not solid, that's for sure, but it has delivered more quality starts than the Yankees. But the Yankees team ERA is lower and their pitching is more reliable because they have a much better bullpen. And there's something else, I think. Last year the AL East was highly competitive--Sox, Yankees, and Rays were all well over .500--despite the fast start by the Sox. I think that carried over to this season for the Yankees and Rays, who could only be encouraged--as the Sox were discouraged--by the Sox bad start. There is an undeniable psychological dimension to winning games. If nothing else, it builds confidence, which right now the Yankees have oodles of and so do the Rays. Looking at the games won and lost to date, I saw something just down right scary. On May 12 the Sox took their 3d straight from the Mariners--a great revenge series--after taking 2 straight from the Orioles. A 5 game winning streak, exactly what the head doctor would have ordered. Since then, however, the Sox are 7 and 9. They took 3 of 4 from the Jays, but lost 4 of 6 to the Astros, split 2 with the Rockies, lost 2 of 3 to the Guardians, and now could lose 2 or 3 of 3 to the Yankees. This season could be over awfully soon.

The Sox didn't lose because of the umpires, but because Happ was a better pitcher than Sale last night. Or the Yankee hitters were better. Take your pick. Nunez getting picked off 2B was incredibly stupid, but hardly the signature play of the game. Nosiree. I think there was however a signature stat, the ever-popular RISP with which we usually, after a loss, like to hammer the Sox. Last night the Sox were 0 for 1 with RISP, which to me speaks volumes about the effectiveness of Happ on the mound. Last night was so simple. We saw exactly why one team is headed toward 106 or more wins and the other team is fighting to stay above .500. And, not to put to fine a point on it, last night the Sox were going with their ace, the redoubtable Chris Sale, who in fact got 10 K's.

I swear the Sox look like they know they can't win.

JDM swung, but got a break.

I'm thinking the same thing.

That was a 92 mph fastball right down the middle by Sale.

Sox are really showing their ass tonight. Sale ain't Sale, that's for sure. Top 4 in the lineup are hitless and JDM looks helpless against Happ. Leon has an incredibly stupid at bat in which Happ tries his darndest to walk him and he just keeps swinging away. Plus he isn't asking for that changeup very much. Honestly, they just look stupid to me. As if Casey Stengal were standing in front of the dugout, asking, "can't anyone out here play this game?" And no one answers.

Sox top four are hitless, so I don’t understand why Nunez, who hit a hard grounder, is being attacked. JDM looks helpless and Mookie not much better.

Sale is still heavily dependent on K’s, whereas Happ loves contact which usually means a ground out.

He needs to get that changeup working, plus he really isn’t much at keeping the ball low, which is exactly what Happ thrives on.

One more time-- Porcello's ERA is about the same as last year even though he pitched fewer innings in ST than in 2018. ERod pitched 15 innings in ST, which is almost what Porcello pitched (16 innings) last year in ST. His ERA is much worse than last year. Price pitched fewer ST innings than last year, and his ERA has gone down and so far is his best since 2015. Sale is the one guy who fits this theory that fewer innings in ST destroyed the rotation. He only threw 9 innings, and his ERA doubled from last year. However, there are two mitigating factors on Sale. One is that we know for a fact that he ran out of gas in 2017 and again last year--both times in August thru October. The other is that we know Sale still doesn't have that blazing fastball he had the last two years. It is possible he is simply holding back on Cora's instructions, but I doubt it. In other words, hard evidence, stats, on three of our four starters do not support the pontifications of Jim Palmer, John Smoltz, and others. You included. But maybe my stats are wrong or wrong-headed. If so, tell me how they are wrong.

Nothing hard-nosed about the decision. Just common sense. How else explain that nobody else in MLB has made an offer to Kimbrel? The other loss was Kelly, who has been a disaster for the Dodgers so far. These last two games were horrible, granted, but they came at the tail end of a no-break 13 game streak that included one starter who lasted 1 out, another who lasted 2 outs, and a 13 inning game. If your a reliever, that gets old awfully fast. Earlier in the season, the bullpen was pretty good.

Interesting. Based on what you said on that other thread, I would have thought you would go for the obvious remedy: fire Cora.

You sound like Billy Beane in Moneyball.

Since he joined the Sox, Chavis has not played in just 2 games, and the Sox won both of them.

You absolutely are entitled to your opinion, but let's agree it is only that. The Sox are just 2 games above .500 on May 31 after their best season ever--108 wins, 11-3 in the postseason. But you have already tossed Cora onto the ash heap of history with 2/3 of this season to go. Moreover, the pitching stats don't support your notion that ST destroyed the rotation. Quick and dirty: the guy who pitched the fewest ST innings (6) this year, Price, has improved his ERA from last year significantly; the guy who pitched the most (15 innings) in ST, ERod, has seen his ERA balloon to over 5. Porcello, who pitched 16 innings last year and 12 this year in ST, has seen his ERA rise slightly. The one guy, Sale, who supports the "ST was a disaster" thesis, pitched fewer innings in ST this year and saw his ERA almost double. All true, but he is the same guy who has folded like a house of cards in August thru October of the past two years. So Cora tried to fix that by having him throw less in ST this year. Also, Sale's fast ball ain't what it used to be, which might be another valid reason to lighten the load early in the season.

I could be wrong, but I have seen far less of his changeup than last year. I think he's better when he has that, the slider, and of course the fastball, especially with all those righty bats he faces.

I'd saying it's bad juju to quote a Yankee before a Yankee series, but I'm not sure Yogi said it (even though it sounds like him). I will settle for winning 2 of 3 because the issue right now is whether the Sox are even competitive. Plus I'm guessing the Sox will go with Sale, Price, and Porcello. And the bullpen just got a day of rest which they needed. Yankees are at a blistering .655 (106 wins) and have won 8 of 10, but so far have played better on the road than at home. Their pitching is better, but ours (in my opinion) should be. Biggest difference is bullpens--we've blown 9 of 21 save opportunties; they've blown 7 of 26. We have 23 quality starts to their 19. Our bullpen gave up 14 runs in 8 innings in the last two games. Against the Guardians who have the 26th best OPS in MLB.

Prosecution exhibit #1: the Sox so far stink this year vs. last year when they won 108. #2: mostly the same players are back. #3: the real culprit is demonstrably and unequivocally perhaps the worst spring training in MLB history. 1 and 2 are true, but not necessarily 3. The rotation pitched less in ST this year than last--Porcello 16 innings last year, 12 this year; Sale 15 and 9, Price 12 and 6, and ERod 0 (injured) and 15. So far this year Porcello has had 11 starts and 63 innings, Sale 11 and 62, Price 9 and 47, and ERod 11 and 60. ERA's: Porcello 4.28 last year and 4.41 this year; Sale 2.11 last year and 4.14 this year; Price 3.58 last year and 2.83 this year; and ERod 3.82 last year and 5.04 this year. So, the guy who threw the fewest innings in ST, Price, has a better ERA(his best since 2015) than last year. The guy who threw the most innings in ST this year, ERod, has an ERA that is much worse. Porcello is a wash--he threw fewer innings in ST this year and his ERA is up a little. Then there's Sale. Let's call him Exhibit #4 for the prosecution. His ST innings dropped from a wonderful, season-preparing 15 innings to a paltry 9 this year, and his ERA darn near doubled--from 2.11 to 4.19. However. In both of the last two seasons with the Sox, Sale has been stunningly good in the first four months of both seasons, and pretty lousy in the last two, especially in the postseason. And that I believe is what Cora--no doubt with the support of DD and probably even John Henry who just agreed to that extension on Sale's contract--was hoping to remedy with fewer ST innings for Sale. Moreover, I think most of us have noticed that Sale's fastball ain't what it was in 2017 and 2018 although we have seen flashes here and there. My point here would be that it makes sense to limit his pitches and innings for now. The defense rests.

One more time. Last night was the 13th straight game without a day off. Those 13 games include one 13 inning game, one start that lasted 1 out, and another that lasted 2 outs. Six of those games were vs. the Astros, who are having another great year, and three vs. the Guardians, who have a winning record. Last year's bullpen was pretty good--not great--and this year's is only missing Kimbrel, who was terrible in the postseason last year and who wants a king's ransom--I think it's $100K/out for five years--to return. We also lost Kelly, who was great in the postseason, but who has been horrendous with the Dodgers so far. And this. Last year with the greatest closer the human race has ever seen--said Kimbrel--the Sox had 20 blown saves. This year with the worst bullpen, worst closers, and worst everything ever seen, the Sox so far have 9 blown saves which, if it keeps up, would become 27 blown saves.

Not what my NOAA map shows. There's stuff west of Reading, PA, but I don't know how fast it's moving.

Hey, listen up. It's not business, it's personal. It's not business, it's personal. I'm still mad at Kimbrel for his rotten postseason pitching, for being a prima donna, and for his unrealistic salary demands. So I don't really care if you guys say he could help this year. Think of his agent as Paulie, leave the gun, and take the cannoli.

Agree. Cora held nothing back in game two, but the normally reliable Walden gave up 2 while getting just 1 out in the 8th, which required the use of Barnes to get out of the top of the 8th with a 1 run lead intact. When the Sox scored 2 more in the bottom of the 8th, giving them a 3 run lead, Brasier was an obvious choice, but couldn't even get 1 out while giving up 3 runs.

Really? Here's why I disagree-- 1. Cora had to start Weber, who was fine his last start, but gave up 7 in 4 this time. He didn't have great command this time. 2. Weber had to go 4 innings because this was the 13th straight game with no break and included one 2 out start by Price and one 13 inning game. So the bullpen has been taxed. 3. Thus the bullpen gave up another 7 runs in the final 5 innings after giving up 7 in 3 innings the night before. 4. Cora did not, to the best of my knowledge, throw a single pitch last night\ or the night before. \ 5. It is possible that either game, last night or Tuesday night, would have had a better outcome with Leon behind the plate. However, Tuesday night Price did splendidly with Vazquez catching. Ultimately, of course, the manager is responsible for all wins and losses in the context of what could reasonably be expected. This year, beyond question, the Sox, who returned the lion's share of last year's 108 wins team, have underperformed. And by now it should be clear to one and all it's primarily the pitching. The hitting is not far behind last year's MLB-leading (runs scored, team OPS) offense. The only real missing link is Kimbrel, and I agree with DD--and all other MLB general managers who haven't picked Kimbrel up--that his price was/is too high.