Maxbialystock

I like oldtimer's lineup, but have never disagreed with whatever Cora decides. With a lefty starter, Nunez and/or Kinsler could play this evening. However, Holt is actually pretty decent against lefties, and Devers is a threat Nunez is unlikely to be.

Pretty much how I see it. His throws are pretty reliable now, but at a price.

I said that during the game (game 1 of the ALCS), but wasn't sure I was right.

I have a simple rule for evaluating any Sox pitcher. I ask, "what did Cora think?" Sunday night Price struggled, no question. But Cora left him in to pitch 4.2 innings. In game 2 of the ALDS Price didn't even go 2 innings--1.2 instead. Cora clearly doesn't think Price sucked Sunday night.

Must win one of three in Houston to get back to Fenway, and this should be doable. Eovaldi vs. Keuchel, a lefty. Keuchel went 6 and gave up 5 to the Sox in September. The very good news is that apparently tomorrow's game begins at 5 and not the expect 8 or later. The Brewers at LA start at 9, which is just fine with me. Eovaldo right now has the most heat of anyone in the Sox rotation. That's good only if he is hitting spots and mixing in breaking stuff. Still, I'm encouraged. Righty bats tomorrow? Kinsler and Nunez for Holt and Devers? Between them Nunez and Kinsler got 3 hits off Keuchel last time. And maybe Vazquez is the new/old regular catcher. Not for Sale, of course.

You, sir, do not understand baseball. Cora has been far and away the best MLB manager in the postseason. He has dealt with two shaky aces (Sale and Price), the absence of his best bullpen arm, Wright, a closer who hsd given up 1 or 2 runs in each inning (3 so far) he has pitched, a bottom of the order that has mostly been a black hole, solid veterans (Nunez and Kinsler) who have been anything but solid, a bullpen overall that has a reputation of being inconsistent, and a batting order overall that, even with that 16 run bonanza in game 3 of the ALDS, has an OPS of .707, which just happens to be 4th best out of the 4 teams left in the ALCS and NLCS. We lost game 1 of the ALDS because Sale struggled and, worse, our lineup came up with three putrid singles in 9 innings. We got those 2 runs because Verlander had a problem with control, period. Even then, the Sox had a shot until Nunez made that horrible, horrible error for the Astros 3d run. We won game 2 because Cora changed the lineup, got the most out of a shaky Price who nevertheless pitched a clean 4th, used Porcello in relief, pinch hit with Moreland again at just the right time, and got another save out of shaky Kimbrel. Don't get me wrong--I do give the players credit for wins. They get all the hits, score all the runs, and make all of the pitches. But so far in both the ALDS and ALCS Cora has shown a magic touch.

Not so bad means he went 4.2 innings, pitched a clean 4th inning, and Cora pulled him at just the right moment in the 5th. 4 runs is pretty awful, but, as moonslav says, Bogaerts made a pretty big mental error that didn't help. Kimbrel is definitely struggling with command. If he has a slider, it would help, but I haven't seen one. Just the knuckle curve which, as you say, he has trouble controlling. His fast ball by itself has always been hittable. All the more reason to say that Cora is by far the best manager in this postseason. Somehow he makes it work--the troubled rotation, the scary bullpen exacerbated by Wright going on the DL and Kimbrel giving up 4 runs in 3 saves, the bottom of the lineup, the defensive miscues, the pullback from home run power earlier in the season.

I don't like Price because he over-relies on the cutter and fast ball. But I trust Cora. Plus, as bad as those 4 walks were--and as costly--I do understand Price was trying to avoid dingers. ERod has better stuff by far than Price, but I don't think he is a serious pitcher yet. It is, however, remotely possible he will start instead of Sale.

"He's made some questionable moves in the ALCS so far." Are you serious? He has been nothing less that brilliant in the postseason. As for Leon pinch running, the real point is that Moreland could not run. By sending in Leon, he gets him on his feet before taking over as catcher and he saves using someone else just as a pinch runner. Would you rather he waste Holt as a pinch runner? If he uses Swihart, Leon was still go in to catch but he will have no backup if later he wants to pinch hit for Leon.

Not kaput, but worrisome.

Back to the title of this thread--Cora and the bullpen. I do not ever remember a Sox manager with a bullpen as inconsistent as this one who somehow keeps finding ways to win. His ace was supposed to be Wright, who was huge in September, but Wright's knee went sour. Now Kimbrel the ace closer, paid a king's ransom, is looking pretty darn shaky. I personally would never have kept Kelly on the postseason roster, but Cora did and so far it has paid off. He has already used starters twice--or is it three times?--in relief and all of them (both of them?) did well. Last night Price had 2 outs and 2 men on base in the 5th, and Cora did not hesitate to pull him. To me anyone who complains about Cora's handling of the bullpen doesn't understand baseball.

Trust me. Heck, trust the rest of us. Winning a 2d straight game at Yankee Stadium to take the ALDS was not a failure. In fact, that game and last night's game and maybe gave 1 of the ALDS--all saves by Kimbrel in which he gave up 1 or 2 runs--are downright liberating. He's being paid a lot to close and now wants a long-term contract to stay here or move on. I never wanted him to have a long term contract, and now it appears DD won't want to offer him one.

They look alike, but only Barnes can throw a curve. What a great call by Cora.

This game is only 3 innings old.

Huge hit. Only slasher9 was hopeful, so hats off to him.

Kinsler strikes out twice on 6 pitches. No wonder Devers was walked.

Meh. You better believe Sale and Price wanted the ball in October. I want someone who can do something with. You know. Like the Astros pitchers. We knew this before the ALCS started. In fact, we saw this little scenario last year in the ALDS.

Actually. I think they kind of like Sale and Price.

He absolutely does look like himself. A has been who has way too much too much confidence in his fast ball and cutter.

This is why Price has struggled. He only wants to throw his cutter and his fastball, and they just aren’t good enough.

That is definitely Prices’s preferred first inning approach—all fast balls and cutters.

Right. That’s why Price was so great in the ALDS—because Leon brings out the best in him. Actually, I would be fine with Leon catching tonight, but I also think Cora doesn’t make moves without a reason.

Devers and Kinsler both. And Vazquez. Cora sends a message—we need to hit.

Such pessimism. Unfortunately, I agree with the pessimism and about the late hours. Jung is wrong about the bullpen, which actually surprised me. They had to go in early--5th inning--and pitched well for 4 innings. Kelly's run was totally and completely unearned thanks to a terrible play by Nunez. Where I agree with Jung is our lineup seemed a bunch of babies out there. Three stinking singles. The big excitement--the clutch rally--was entirely Verlander's doing. The whining to the ump was sickening--that's where the babies part comes in. Also, I could not believe the number of called strikes on fast balls. Our guys looked like they expected to play slow pitch soft ball. Beni, especially. Pitchers gave up 10 walks, which seems gigantic, horrible, etc. My guess is they were trying to avoid gopher balls and just missing. Sale's 4 walks and an HBP did lead to the 2 runs, but he seemed to steady in the 4th. Barnes 2 walks didn't hurt him. Workman's two walks didn't hurt nearly as much as the two dingers but I thought the game was over by the 9th anyway. Our lineup was just totally on its ass. I'm not saying the Sox can't come back, but am saying this is an ominous start against a very good team. As much as I like Cora, who has been terrific this year, including the postseason, I'm thinking maybe we need that manager from the Durham Bulls, who took a bunch of bats and threw threw them in the shower. In the end, it is a simple game--you throw the ball, you hit the ball, and you catch the ball. Sox could not do any of those last night at the MLB level.

Hitting the bigger problem. 3 singles!!?? Both runs were gifts.