Maxbialystock

Last night's win was absolutely, positively huge. I had little faith in Pom and said so, but I actually looked forward to the game eagerly because I thought, "whatever else, I'm watching a big game, and the outcome if far from a foregone conclusion." Hell, it was like an early postseason game because a lot was at stake. I was so mad at Porcello after the first innings I couldn't stop commenting on the game thread. The 1 run in the 1st helped, and the three in the 2d said clearly this was not Tuesday night's team. At that point I also began defending Farrell for leaving Porcello in,which proved to be the right decision if only because Porcello is still an option for the postseason rotation. espn's idiotic headline for the game says we won because of Pedey. But in fact it was Bogie who pulled a Betts, first scoring from 1b on a single and then driving in 3 with the dinger. HanRam not too shabby either. Heck, 13 hits and 10 runs has lots of heroes. So tonight another in-season playoff game. As Kimmi says, you gotta like our situation right now. The Astros won't roll over, but I like our chances for at least 1 and maybe 2 wins. So the Yankees pretty much have to win out--no mean feat.

Let it also be noted that this dickhead ump has screwed both pitchers--not much reward for hitting corners.

I'd love to say the Sox have been great scoring 9 without Betts or Nunez, but I really think this is all because the Jays manager left Estrada in too long--15 innings total--in his last two starts. Plus in August he threw over 600 pitches. He looked exhausted out there. You can always tell. I mean, hey, the Sox are hitless wonders without Betts and Nunez. Plus before tonight Estrada owned the Sox, going 17 innings in 3 starts and giving just 2 runs. Clearly out of gas. Still, I'm pretty happy with those 9 runs.

I already did--at length. How about he is a scrofulous, worthless, no account Porcello-type whose grandmother wears combat boots?

To think I badmouthed HanRam on the first page. Boy, do I love being wrong like that.

Wins and losses. If the FO thinks you should have done better, you are gone. If you win the AL East, your job is probably safe for another year. The bs about when to pull a starter is just nuisance value.

That was some pretty nifty baserunning by Bogaerts. Lousy fundamentals, course. Never make third out when it's safer to stay at 3b or something like that. But still, ignorant guys like me enjoy seeing a guy score from 1b on a single.

Sox come roaring back in larger part because Estrada has had to throw 30 pitches in this inning.

I hope you are wrong. Hope.

1. That's why. 2. Now my turn. Why is it instantly the manager's fault when a player screws up? You are focusing on the wrong dude here, especially at the salary Porcello makes.

At this point I have wonder how Porcello warms up and whether anyone like the pitching coach is watching him. He absolutely came out determined to stick to the fastball and to avoid low pitches at any cost--except for the one that bounced in front of the plate of course. Totally unprepared to start his game and certainly not guided by the pitching coach in any useful way.

Let's not forget that dinger was preceded by back to back doubles. tonight the Jay's are feasting on a carcass of a pitcher.

Sadly, the first was entirely predictable when it was clear Porcello was never going to throw anything low in the strike zone and rely almost solely on fast balls. The dinger was off a juicy curve just about dead center in the strike zone. More and more it seems to me Porcello took some kind of pledge to keep his pitches up regardless of the consequences.

Estrada's 4th start against us. As Kimmi says, in the first three games he was very effective. His September ERA is below 2, his best this season.

Farrell is no idiot. But I would be disingenuous if I did not admit that even I might have pulled Sale early on September 20 even though Sale absolutely did not want to come out. It may not have been necessary, but it would have been sensible. I'm not sure I buy the 41 pitches--28 would be more like it. Pull him after 6. Give Sale the extra shutout inning--a nice compromise.

Still no Betts. Four lefty and five righty bats against righty Estrada. Pedey in a slump. Bradley too. Davis not much. Moreland could be OK, but not HanRam.

Sale alternated good and bad starts earlier in the season as well. May was just as bad a month--also with 6 starts--as August, ERA of 4.24 vs. ERA 4.38. His two best months, with ERA's of 1.19 and 1.04 were April and July, and his two worst months were May and August. September was in the middle, ERA-wise. If you say Sale was wearing down in August, how do you explain May? Or, for that matter, how do you explain a better ERA in September than in August and that on September 9 and again on September 20 he pitched shut out ball? Also, how do you explain shutting down the Jays for 7 innings (with 11 K's and zero walks) on August 29 when he was in the middle of this 60 day decline?

OK, I think I know where the fire Farrell gang is coming from on this rest issue. On September 20, 2017, a day which will now live in infamy, Farrell failed to pull Sale after six innings and instead let him pitch 8 innings. Since Sale averaged about 14 pitches per inning that night, I think this boils down to 28 extra, needless, insane, ridiculous, thoughtless pitches. It made no difference Sale would have an extra day's rest before his next start at home against the Jays. Those 28 pitches clearly pushed Sale beyond his limit, and what we saw last night was a wreck, a pale imitation of the fireballing ace we had seen in the distant past--way back on September 20 when he struck out 13 over 8 scoreless innings. That Sale was now gone. Here's why I have a problem with that thesis. First and foremost, Sale still struck out 8 guys in 5 innings last night. Second his heater--the 97 mph and above version--was very much in evidence. He was also throwing changeups and sliders. However--and a small amount of this has to do with an ump who wasn't given him any corners--what I saw was that his breaking balls were up in the zone and therefore very hittable. In fact, one of Donaldson's dingers came off a slider and the other off a changeup, both up in the zone. All four dingers came off of pitches up in the zone, but not way up. In other words, just about right for a team facing Sale for the 4th time this season and with some pretty good bats. The most dingers by a MLB team so far this season is 232, and the Jays have 219. Then there is the fact that Sale has thrown just 502 pitches this month, easily the fewest in a month this season. Among those 5 starts he has actually pitched two shutout games, one for 8 innings and the other 6 innings. So, while I will give credit to moonslav, mvp78 and others for complaining during the September 20 game that Sale needed to be rested because the Sox had a big lead, I'm less sure than they that those 28 pitches pushed Sale over a cliff. I think it's just as reasonable to say he lacked command of his pitches last night and that the Jays were ready for those pitches up in the zone. Heck, back in July, by far his best month with an ERA of 1.04, he went 7 innings against the Rays and gave up 4 runs, including 2 dingers.

A fair point. Who does like to watch Porcello pitch? That said, at least he's a righty--the Jays just killed our two best lefties. Also Betts MRI says "no structural damage" to his wrist.

Pretty close to a must win from my perspective. If we lose and the yankees win, they are 2 back with 4 to go and we play the Astros for the final four games. The Yankees play Tampa tonight and again tomorrow, then 3 more at home vs. the Jays. I do not think Sale will be available on October 1, the last game. I would like to win the AL East and avoid the wild card game.

Koufax quit in 1966 at age 31 because he was diagnosed with traumatic arthritis in 1964 when he couldn't straighten his arm the day after pitching a shutout. The diagnosis was by the team physician, Dr Bob Kerlan. The next year, still fighting arthritic pain, he pitched his fourth no-hitter and the first perfect game by a lefty since 1880. He had 14 strikeouts. That same year, 1965, despite fighting arthritic pain, he was the WS MVP after pitching a shutout to clinch the Series. The next year, his last, he and Drysdale were holdouts for more money. That spring Dr Kerlan told him not to pitch another season, but he still pitched 323 innings, went 27-9, and had an ERA of 1.73. That became his last season in part because of the pain and in part because continuing to pitch could make his arm useless and even painful in his retirement. He certainly did not retire because he had no more great pitches or great games in him.

moonslav, et al, perhaps a few numbers might inform our thoughts about Sale's pitch count. These came from his game log on espn-- He has done about the same all year long on five days rest and on six days rest. Last time out he pitched an 8 inning gem on 5 days rest. This time he got killed with 4 dingers on 6 days rest. It's been like that all year. FWIW, he has started 13 games on 5 days rest for the season, which means 19 on 6 or more days rest. His monthly ERA highs and lows are: highest were 4.24 in May and 4.38 in August. Lows were April, 1.19, and July, 1.04. September is 3.72, between his 2 best and 2 worst months. His lowest monthly pitch count is 506 in September. Next lowest is 534 in April, then June with 548, then July with 574. All four months were with five starts each. His two worst ERA months, May and August, were also months in which he started 6 games and threw the most pitches, 655 and 611. His best three consecutive starts, all shutouts and averaging 7 innings per start, were this first three start after the ASG and on 9 days rest. By far the most dingers in a month came this month with 9. His average dingers/month for the first 5 months were 3 per month for a total of 15. He has 44 K's in 29 innings this month, about on a par with other months when he pitched more innings and had more K's.

I never said we are getting our money's worth. I just explained why it makes more sense to keep him than release him. He ain't Pablo.

9-4. Just about right for a debacle with our ace on the mound.

You know Porcello starts tomorrow, right? 10-17 Porcello?