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Maxbialystock

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Everything posted by Maxbialystock

  1. Maxbialystock
    You made that 52% up, but I think it could be about right. Baseball game outcomes are really hard to predict. Last year, for example, the Guardians had the best won-loss % at 63%, then the Astros at 62%, then the Sox and Yankees at about 57%. If they all play a 10 game series--not against each other-- and win their usual amount, they all win 6 games. The length of the MLB season--162 games, which is 6 games a week for six months-- makes small differences seem bigger than they are. That said, I also believe pitching matchups can be pretty decisive. But even aces can have off nights and non-aces rise to the occasion. In the 2013 ALCS, our ace was Lester, but it was Lackey who started vs. Verlander and won, 1-0. I firmly believe that the unpredictability of games, pitchers, hitters, etc is one of the great strengths of baseball and MLB.
  2. Maxbialystock
    Why just one ace? Why not two or three? And don't forget trading half the Sox for Machado. You truly are the fount of great ideas for fixing this team.
  3. Maxbialystock
    moonslav59 has been making that last point repeatedly. Plus I agree our lineup if fine overall.
  4. Maxbialystock
    No quarrel with saying our lineup is pretty good--last night notwithstanding. Actually, I thought last night was a clinic in how to pitch effectively with a lot of movement and command. Sabathia was masterful. ERod was just getting a workout--throwing, not pitching.
  5. Maxbialystock
    Ahem. Not so fast. Wright's now on the DL, and his last game was a stinker--10 runs as I recall. ERod stunk last night and continues to over-rely on his fast ball first and cut fast ball second. He has no curve or slider, and his changeup seems to have disappeared. He is most effective when he keeps the ball mostly low, but apparently can't do that consistently. Right now I would say the Sox have no better than the 3d best staff in the AL. The Astros ERA is under 3, which is ridiculous. We should be better than the Yankees, but aren't. Their rotation is about as good as ours--I hate saying that given that we should have the better of them here--and their bullpen is clearly better.
  6. Maxbialystock
    You are more right than illinoisredsox. Agree completely on Sabathia's command and the movement of his pitches, but would point out the many Sox hitters tried to hit him early in the count last night. It got them six hits and 2 doubles, but never really threw Sabathia off stride. Indeed, the Sox swinging early in the count was why Sabathia could go 7 innings. He got a lot of one and two pitch outs. To me last night was a clinic in how to pitch and how not to pitch as a starter. In contrast to Sabathia, ERod stuck with his fastball and cut fast ball. I never saw a single curve or slider. If he threw changeups, they weren't very often and didn't break much. In the final game vs. the Angels on Sunday, Kelly kept throwing that 99-100 fast ball, and the Angels kept hitting it hard. Kimbrel gets in trouble whenever he can't rely on his knuckle curve to set up his fast ball and vice versa. Then here comes starter, not reliever, ERod with his 94-96 mph four seamer which he over relies on, inning after inning after inning. At the end of the day, it's clear ERod is a thrower and Sabathia is a pitcher.
  7. Maxbialystock
    What game are you watching? Mookie is 2 for 3 with no K's. Now 2 for 4.
  8. Maxbialystock
    I disagree. We won game 3 and were definitely in position to win games 1 and 2. In fact, it was after those two losses I said the Sox can play with these guys. Season to date, the series is even at 3-3.
  9. Maxbialystock
    Good for Cora and ERod: six innings. Game is probably out of reach--all the more reason not to bring in the bullpen any sooner than absolutely necessary. This is where the proverbial 7 run rule definitely applies. But I don't think it applies when the Sox offense is perking and scoring runs and the game is winnable. This game might still be winnable, but the odds are against it. Better to cut our losses and get the most possible outs of ERod's arm.
  10. Maxbialystock
    As I said earlier in the thread, ERod and Sabathia are polar opposites. Sabathia has little speed but a great mix of pitches and excellent control. ERod actually has a pretty good fast ball but relies on it too much, especially when he doesn't command it very well. Plus he doesn't have any pitches that break sharply down and tends just to throw a cut fastball. The whole idea is to keep hitters off balance. The Yankees actually hit ERod hard in the 1st, but they were right to someone (2 of them, anyway). The other thing I've said about ERod is that he is definitely more effective when the keeps the ball down. He did that tonight on exactly one batter, who GIDP'd. Tonight his pitches have been mostly up. Sale, Price, and even Porcello all have a pretty good mix of pitches and that's why the are more effective.
  11. Maxbialystock
    ???????????????
  12. Maxbialystock
    Clearly the Yankees love ERod's fastball--of which he throws a lot--almost as much as ERod does. He is fooling no one.
  13. Maxbialystock
    They definitely have ERod figured out--or his pitches anyway. That dinger was off a high fastball almost out of the zone. This is like the 1st inning only the balls aren't catchable.
  14. Maxbialystock
    I spoke too soon and hexed him. First a walk after an 0-2 count, then a fast ball near the middle of the zone for a double.
  15. Maxbialystock
    He has the 17th highest OPS in the AL at .853. That ain't chopped liver.
  16. Maxbialystock
    Nice, Pearce. Very nice.
  17. Maxbialystock
    OK. This has to be said. I don't like what ERod is doing, which probably means I'm an idiot because overall that's three darn good innings and 40 pitches. Also, what my mlb.com gameday (which I follow on my ipad with the game on tv) is calling cut fastballs occasionally are breaking to the left, not right, and that's a freaking changeup in my book. The kid so far is rising to the occasion.
  18. Maxbialystock
    But he has great control and those non straight pitches bend in different directions and different amounts.
  19. Maxbialystock
    That liner that moved Pearce from 2d to 3d--pretty good throw by Judge.
  20. Maxbialystock
    Were I an oddsmaker, I would have favored Sabathia over ERod, Sale over Grey, and Severino over Price. But you gotta play the games. So far I like this one even down 1-0.
  21. Maxbialystock
    Meh. Three excellent cut fastballs to Romine, all low in the zone and resulting in a very nice GIDP.
  22. Maxbialystock
    So far Erod and Sabathia are polar opposites. ERod has very little mix to his pitches--cut fast balls and fast balls--and doesn't hit spots.
  23. Maxbialystock
    Nice try by JBJ but he slightly misjudged it--wrong shoulder plus it was high off the wall.
  24. Maxbialystock
    What Pearce giveth, Nunez takes away. Awful at bat. Devers' liner would have brought Pearce home. Sabathia has 2 scoreless innings and has thrown I think 18 pitches. Not good.
  25. Maxbialystock
    Miracle but good 1st by ERod. Hit hard but both caught. Then the walk. Then the pop by Gregorious. 15 pitches. Good for him for a 1st inning. Could be wrong, but don't think I saw a changeup in the 1st, which is actually pretty normal for ERod. I think he has a good changeup, but tends to wait before using it. Basically what I think I saw was a mixture of cut fastballs and regular fastballs. No sliders, curves, or changeup.
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