Maxbialystock

Vintage. Classic. Simple but thought-provoking stats.

Honestly, I think that "10-15 up with just a few less mental blunders and dumb mistakes" is insupportable. Look at the standings. We're up 4.5 on the Yankees because we are 18 games above .500 and they are 9. For us to increase that lead to 12.5 games--the mean between 10 and 15 games up--we would have to be 34 games above .500, which would give us the best record in the AL and the 2d best record in MLB. All because we are too aggressive on the basepaths or JBJ forgets how many outs or whatever? Give me a break. Besides, I think you are focusing on the wrong fundamentals. By far the two dominant fundamentals in baseball are hitting and pitching. After that, quite a way back in my opinion, comes fielding. Then maybe baserunning. Then maybe playing smart--hitting the cutoff man, covering 1b on grounders to the right, staying focus on the game situation (number of outs, what you should do on a grounder or fly, remembering who to backup if the other team hits a double or something). Last night was a classic example of the fundamentals taking over. In the 2d inning many thought we blew the game when Beni tried for an extra base on a single and was out. This was was supposed to be our big inning, but he ruined it with his recklessness. Really? In the 1st we had the bases full with 1 out and Bogie, Devers, and HanRam quickly succumbed to Sabathia's mastery. Interestingly, if Beni has not run in the 2d, Betts would have come to the plate with men on 1st and 3d and no one out. Guess what? Betts and the next four guys in the lineup last night never got a single hit. In the 9th the Yankess bullpen gave up 3 walks and an HBP which scored 1 run for us, but we never got a hit. We lost last night on the fundamentals, no question, but the fundamentals were hitting and pitching and not whether Beni was too aggressive. We went 16-4 in the first part of August because we had good pitching and good hitting. We are struggling now because the hitting is unquestionably soft. The Nunez/Devers charge to the system has worn off. We took 3 straight from Toronto because they just might have the worst bullpen in the history of baseball (not really), but we got exactly 1 run per game off their three starters. That, sports fans, is ineptitude so great that worrying about aggressiveness on the base paths or not being alert about game situations or being unable to reliably go back on a pop up or whatever other "fundamental flaw" you want to name to me makes no sense. If we can't hit any better, that fundamental flaw will kill us this month--deservedly so. I would like to amend the above by of course agreeing that pitching, the other dominant fundamental, was clearly key last night. Sabathia was way better than ERod even though ERod at least started OK. If Nunez hadn't missed that popup and Betts not allowed him to, ERod would have gone 5 while giving up 1, not bad. Come the 6th, however, the deluge.

In now 6 straight games against 3 different teams, the Sox have been held to 1 run by the other teams starter. That is a little scary to say on September 1. In one game, the final loss to the Orioles, we left 25 on base. Last night the Sox scratched out 4 measly singles in 9 innings. As I said earlier, the utter ineptitude of the Jays bullpen masked our hitting flaws. This is sadly reinforced by watching the games. Nunez and Devers gave our hitting a nice shot in the arm, which enabled that 16-4 streak that vaulted the Sox into a solid lead in the AL East. But the hitting collapse, if such it is, could just as quickly fritter it away. 6 years ago the Sox got Francona fired--after WS wins in 2004 and 2007-- by their September collapse. Today maybe Pedroia and tomorrow maybe JBJ can provide a spark. Maybe the aggressive base running needs to be reined in, which is one of the very few realistic options--I have my doubts about lineup changes--left to Farrell to help the offense. September call ups? Dombrowski has already called up a zillion guys and exactly 1 good bat, Devers.

I was wrong about the hitting. Sox are fine. Great 9th inning rally that just fell short. 3 walks, 1 HBP, 1 K, 1 pop up, and 1 fly out. No hits of course. But 4 big singles in 9 innings is nothing to sneeze at. We'll bbe fine. The pitching is the problem.

Completely agree. The 6th is all on ERod. But the score going in should have been 1-1 with ERod having thrown fewer pitches. The Nunez misplay (officially not an error) was costly. Plus our lineup has 4 measley singles in 7 innings. That's why I give ERod an Ok. Plus those first 5 innings.

Hah! Box score says no error by Nunie in the 5th. Since he never touched the ball, that's probably a fair call, but you cannot persuade me it was not catchable with Betts standing right there.

I've seen uglier from him, a lot uglier. Don't forget that that run in 5th was the result of Nunez problems catching popups behind him, and it also extended the inning. ERod should have been out of there with 0 runs and maybe 90 pitches for the game. Tonight ERod was far more sinned against--by the hitting and the defense and baserunning--than sinning.

Sorry, Nunie, but Pedey makes that play with ease even with the bad knee. Probably not an error, but.

Well, that fastball in the middle finally got ERod--2 run dinger. Sabathia just does not make mistakes like that, and ERod does and has repeatedly tonight. It is very hard for me to see a giveaway in this game. I'm mad at Nunez's error and because he told Betts he had it, and I don't like the results of Beni's overaggressiveness, but to me it was apparent all game long that, even though ERod was pitching pretty well, we were the underdogs because I think the Yankees bullpen is as good as ours and Sabathia has our number when he isn't walking guys. A simple stat to illustrate the point. Yankees 2 dingers. Sox 0 dingers. We have 4 pissy singles in this game and the Yankees are stealing this win? Give me a break.

All due respect to those who have been on here a lot longer than I, I don't think we are giving anything away. Sabathia has our number, simple as that. Nunez screwed up, but it was an error (if they call it). On similar plays I have seen Betts just come in and grab that ball, but this time he held back.

The one thing I think Sabathia is doing too much of is going after those corners and I mean the tips. His stuff is plenty good enough to induce grounder after grounder, and he should never walk anyone.

We ain't saving Sabathia, not when he is basically in control of this game. Even with Beni not going to 2b on the single, Sabathia had the stuff to stop any or at least limit it to 1 run, which is what happened. We had him on the ropes in the 1st and he made our guys look like idiots. Our problem tonight is the exact same problem in Toronto. Right now our guys struggle against decent starting pitching. Against Toronto, whom we beat 3 straight, we scored 1 run each off their 3 starters. We won because we had good starting pitching ourselves and murdered their bullpen. I said this at the beginning of the this game thread (or at the end of last night's).

Beni overaggressive, not stumbling and bumbling. Only one stumblebum out there, Nunez, but he also has the single and the run scored.

I can't call this horrible baseball when we are down just 2-1.

All due respect, but ERod did his job. This is all on Nunez who even called off Betts right before he lost the ball completely.

I seem to recall a thread saying Nunez would be solid at 2b, 3b, or SS. But that's true only if you discount his problem with popups behind him that he has to do a little running for.

I have said this repeatedly. Nunez cannot catch popups. He loses the ball most of the time. This is not recent if you just watch. Note too he insisted on it even though Betts was right there. This was a real bonehead play by a veteran.

This ain't necessarily ERod's fault. Vazquez is the one calling for fastballs. After an out, two fastballs hit for 2 singles.

ERod has his change and slider working, but throws a fastball right down the geometric center for a single to center. just a bad pitch, I guess.

Beni CS again. Why not? It took a perfect throw to beat him.

Meh. An out there would have been spectacular because Beni was running away from 2b when he grabbed it. The play was not in front of him, and that makes an accurate throw harder.

Sabathia doesn't need K's to grind you down. Grounder, grounder, grounder. And our guys just love to hit them.

Great inning by ERod!! Huge K with a man on 3b and 1 out. Tonight he is the man. 4 innings, 1 run, and I think 64 pitches.

Usually sabathia prospers when you hit that low in the zone sinking stuff. Grounded yield quick outs and innings. That absolutely is not Erods style.

Sabathia keeps it low to encourage grounders. He does need Ks to win.