Maxbialystock

Finally! A decent play by Bogie. So right now this has become, wait for it, a very interesting game. Our journeyman starter, picked up off the ash heap of MLB history, just got thru 5 innings while giving up 3 runs despite our abysmal infield. It's a 3-2 game definitely time for the bullpen to show their stuff. And wouldn't it be nice if our lineup--especially our righty bats-- could get their collective heads out of the wrong orifice and actually get a rally going?

Once again Betts gets a fat fastball near the center of the zone and lets it go by because it's the first pitch. He ends up with a lazy fly to CF after trying to hit the ball off his shoe tops. That was his third at bat against this same routine and you would think he could learn from the first two.

Not really. That one is on Farrell, who clearly called for the hit and run, and Marrero who simply can't hit today.

Since the title of this thread is Farrell, I have to think at least some of the discussion about how to use the bullpen relates to him. Moving Barnes to the 7th inning and Kelly to the 8th is fine with me, but I would hardly call it a big fix. Indeed, in most games where the bullpen is key, both of them get in there. On top of that, the bullpen has done pretty darn well so far this season and clearly is not in need of major surgery. About that other topic--rotating relievers thru an inning at a time. I used to believe--devoutly--that it was sheer idiocy. If one reliever is clearly going great guns, leave him in, I say. These days, however, I'm not so sure. Oh, it still makes sense for anybody going in in the 2d, 3d, 4th, 5th, or even the 6th inning. But after that I suspect "roles" make some sense. And don't forget that the manager still has the option of pulling whoever goes in when he doesn't have it.

I think Bill James is a part of the problem because he is paid by the Sox and is the world's leading advocate for not swinging the bat, especially on the first pitch. In the movie, it's call money ball, but to me it's stupid when every single MLB pitcher knows you can throw safely throw a fat one on the first pitch. In his last at bat Betts looked at a fast ball in the geometric center of the strike zone then hit a dinky grounder on the second pitch, a curve low in the strike zone.

Who cares about Rusney Castillo? I sure don't. We have a pretty good outfield without him. In a no doubt desperate view to return this thread to a "realistic view of 2017," which is actually the dadgum title, I would like to offer the following thoughts. 1. The pitching overall ain't half bad and will likely get even better when Rodriguez returns, hopefully right after the ASG and giving the Sox a rotation of Sale, ERod, Price, Porcello, and Pomeranz. Not too shabby. And a bullpen led by Kimbrel and Kelly, also pretty good. The only real weakness of the pitching I can see is our infield fielding. 2. This hitting continues to be problematical as we approach the midway point, 81 games, of the season. This is rare for Sox teams in the John Henry era or any era for that matter. Think about this: last night the Sox announcers said the Sox are 37-10 in games in which they score 4 or more runs. If you will check our W-L percentage you will find it to be way, way below that percentage (37/47= .787). 3. Ortiz retirement has demonstrably left a giant hole in the middle of the Sox lineup. Last year we led the AL by 100 runs in the runs scored department, and right now we are ranked 7th. At the same time we are dead last of 15 AL teams in dingers and second in GIDP. 4. Although we actually have a decent array of hitters in Betts, Bogaerts, Beni, Moreland, Pedroia, and now even JBJ, HanRam is woefully lacking as the DH and the C and 3B positions are bad enough opposing pitchers see them as tantamount to having to pitchers (a la the national league) at the end of the batting order. 5. Nevertheless, right now the Sox are neck and neck with the Yankees for 1st in the AL East and in first place in the AL for a wild card slot.

I would love to blame this one on Price, but I blame 2 of his 3 runs on Bogaerts, first for the two errors causing an unearned run, then for the runner who advanced from 2d to 3d (and later scored) on a grounder to Bogaerts when he had a good play at 3b to nab him. The other problem is the Angels starter had good stuff, fast ball 95-98 mph, excellent slider he used a lot and to good effect, and a curve and changeup he used now and then. I think Price for all his faults could have gone 7 innings last night--without Bogie's 2 errors and mistaken play that allowed those 2 runs and which would have saved Price some extra pitches--giving up just 1 run. Assuming a 1-1 tie, I like our bullpen against theirs with Kelly in the 8th and maybe the 9th, Kimbrel in the 9th or 10th, etc. At the beginning of the game the Fox announcers said one key for the Sox was simply scoring 4 runs because the Sox were/are 37-10 in games in which they score 4 or more runs. We are getting close to the midway point, 81 games, in this season and it is becoming more and more evident that this team will continue to rely much more on its pitching, which is actually pretty good despite all of my (and others) whining, than on its hitting. I think the biggest problem with the hitting is the absence of a big bat in the middle of the order and the weakness of the 8th and 9th slots which more and more opposing teams have come to rely on as a ready source of outs.

Well said.

The announcers say he did indeed balk and the umpires got it right.

What hurt? He threw 103 pitches, plenty for him these days especially with the Sox down 3-1. Of course, then Abad comes in and gives up 2, but whatever.

I don't blame Farrell for getting mad, but I also think this game is over and that Abad was awful and that guy would have scored anyway.

Meh. Ortiz did that and more and no one seemed to mind. Actually, I hate it when anyone does it. My MLB rule would be that, the hitter can step out of the batter's box any time he wants to, but the pitcher can still throw the ball. There are no timeouts for a hitter short of an injury. Also, once a pitcher puts his foot on that rubber, he must throw a pitch or throw to a base. No stepping off. I would also keep a clock on the pitcher once he puts his foot on the rubber--15 or 20 seconds to pitch or throw to a base.

Another thing. All three of the pitches to Moreland, batting lefty against a righty pitcher, were low in the strike zone. That's another thing our pitchers are piss poor at.

Two curves into Moreland's lefty wheelhouse and he is completely helpless. Why can't Sox pitchers master the curve, slider, and/or changeup? They all seem to love the damn fastball.

Good for Pedey to swing at the first pitch fast ball, but he only fouled it. Then the slider got him to pop out. That slider has done a lot of damage tonight because it works so well in tandem with the fast ball which ain't too shabby, 95-98. Just did it to Bogie--fast ball down the middle, no swing, then fouled off the slider and another slider. Then a weak grounder off the fast ball inside.

Finally, a Sox hit off that damn slider which has killed us tonight--this one was a little up in the zone.

Maybe. But 2 of the 3 runs are on Bogie, not Price. First the two errors, then failing to get the lead runner on an easy grounder.

I've criticized Price endlessly, but tonight he has shown some heart. Two of those runs are the direct result of boneheaded plays by Bogaerts. First the two errors, then not throwing to 3b to get the lead runner. It wasn't even a hard play.

Wow. Just wow. Price gets the swinging strike on the high fastball, then comes back with a fastball in the dead center of the strike zone. For a double of course.

Too bad you aren't allowed to watch the game or you wouldn't be saying that. Tonight JC Ramirez is anything but average. Except for the dinger by Moreland and double by Beni--who never scored despite getting the double with no one out--he has made our guys look like weak sisters. He's got a good fastball and good secondary pitches.

Just out of curiosity, is anyone voting for any of our non-pitchers to be in the All Star Game? I certainly am not. I heard or read Mookie is like 6th in the outfield voting, and that sounds about right to me.

The Fox announcers were saying they could read Farrell's lips after the first inning--he was telling Vazquez to stop calling for so many fast balls. So maybe I need to back off of Price a little and ask why is Vazquez so f***ing dumb?

Whoa! Price just a threw a knuckle curve for a strike on the first pitch. If that guy could command his breaking stuff, he would be tough. He gets into trouble when hitters can sit on his fast ball and/or, at least in one case to Pujols, he threw a changeup that barely moved right in the geometric center of the strike zone.

I think "average pitcher" only applies if you don't look at what he is throwing. First and foremost, he throws strikes on just about every first pitch because the Sox have been drilled not to swing at the first pitch. He also has a 95-97 mph fast ball which he spots pretty well and a slider and a curve. I'm not sure about a changeup. The point is that most of the time he has our guys guessing. On a 3-2 count he threw one over the middle and caught Betts looking. In fact, he has 3 k's and 0 walks. If that's average, I wish our guys could be average. Whoops, just K'd HanRam with a 98 fast ball--just average, of course.

Price appears to have little command of his changeup, knuckle curve, and I think slider. that's why he throws all those fastballs. At the same time, Bogaerts makes two errors in one inning to ensure an unearned run. And, as stated above, the hitters ain't hitting. Was it the 2d inning when Moreland led off with a dinger followed by Beni's double? Then HanRam strikes out looking, JBJ is HBP, and Vazquez and Marrero ground out weakly. A terrible game so far.