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Maxbialystock

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Everything posted by Maxbialystock

  1. Maxbialystock
    Bravo. We disagree on a lot, but that's definitely the right attitude and it's a plausible scenario.
  2. Maxbialystock
    Me, I definitely wanted the home field advantage--on general principles if nothing else. I wanted the Sox to have the best W-L record in the AL. That said, I'm somewhat amazed how everything is now being blamed on having to play in Cleveland. So far in these playoff games, the two wild card games were split--Toronto won at home, but it was a tough win, 11 innings, helped by the Orioles not using their ace reliever Britton. The Giants won in Mets Stadium. Both wild card wins were the clearly result of excellent pitching, not the ballpark. In the other ALDS, Toronto has now won both games on the road at Texas, and tonight the Dodgers just beat the Nationals in Nationals ballpark. And, FWIW, overall the Sox were semi-tied with the Cubs for the best road record in MLB. To me it still boils down to pitching, not location/ballpark. Our starting pitching stunk in the first two games, and Cleveland's was OK in the first and excellent in the second.
  3. Maxbialystock
    I didn't much feel this way during the game, but someone else put it right. Very few of us expected the Sox to win the ALCS, but they did despite a rotation--and sometimes a bullpen--that threatened to ruin this season. The hitting has hit a rough spot, but also won an awful lot of games. Someone else said something else right on target, that pitching tends to take over in the postseason. The Sox did not have great hitting in the 2013 playoffs, but they did have a team ERA of 2.00, and the bullpen was even better than that. In 2016 we have so far had too unimaginably terrible starters.
  4. Maxbialystock
    Soul-searching. Got it.
  5. Maxbialystock
    A very apt and even commendable defense of Price. However, I must point out two additional, compelling facts. First and foremost, Price only lasted 3.1 innings. If Farrell believed his starter just had a little bad luck, he would have left him in. Fact two, in the two games thus far in the ALDS, the starting pitchers have given up 10 earned runs and the bullpen--which has pitched more innings--has given up 1 unearned run. Yes, the hittting was piss poor today, but Kluber is a bonafide candidate for the Cy Young and today we could all see why. He has really good stuff. Not a lot of K's, but very unhittable. Last night the hitting brought in 4 runs, and it simply wasn't enough because our starter in just 4.1 innings gave up 3 dingers and 5 runs. The story of this ALDS so far is starting pitching, pure and simple. The Guardians have it--despite their injuries--and so far we very clearly have not had it.
  6. Maxbialystock
    Excuse me, but didn't the Guardians have 4 runs in the first 2 innings last night and the same thing in the first 3 innings today, this time with their best starter, a real candidate for the Cy Young? Also, I guarantee you that, were our guys to look relaxed right now, you would be saying, "see, these guys don't even care. Doesn't Farrell know how to motivate?" Also, FYI, the Sox 19-8 in September, despite playing mostly road games and many consecutive games in both August and September. How did that happen?
  7. Maxbialystock
    What a crock. Two straight starters, Porcello and Price, have given these games away. Today, I entirely agree, the lineup looks tight, but that's largely due to Kluber's excellent pitching. Last night the Sox scored 4 runs, which should have won, but Porcello gave away 5, including 3 dingers. Price has always been bad in the postseason. Porcello was just bad.
  8. Maxbialystock
    It bugs me that Holt--like many other major league infielders--never seems interesting in fielding a grounder with both hands.
  9. Maxbialystock
    That's pretty accurate even though there was nothing lucky about that dinger, which was just hammered. Also, today, unlike last night, the Sox have not hit well at all.
  10. Maxbialystock
    Not really. Holt had a perfect gidp grounder and dropped the ball, but got no error because he finally picked the ball up and tagged third before the baserunner.
  11. Maxbialystock
    Here's another little factoid. After 3.5 innings (4 for Kluber and 3 for Price), Kluber has thrown 35 strikes out of 62 pitches--56%, which is a low percentage. Price, on the other hand, has thrown 41 strikes in 53 pitches, 77%. Of course, some of them have been very hittable.
  12. Maxbialystock
    I say again, Porcello and Price rely on their fastballs too much. Look at Kluber for contrast. Our guys can't hit him because every pitch, even his fast ball, has motion to it.
  13. Maxbialystock
    Today the hitting looks terrible. But last night the Sox scored 4 runs and would have won had not Porcello stunk it up with 3 dingers and 5 runs in 4.1 innings.
  14. Maxbialystock
    If they are hot it is because our two starters love that flat, very hittable fastball and eschew anything that breaks down and in or down and away. Heck, the whole darn organization loves starters with heat and not much else. Our starters are throwers, not pitchers--with Buchholz the only exception.
  15. Maxbialystock
    Porcello and Price remind me of the pitcher "Nuc" in Bull Durham, both wanting to establish their authority.
  16. Maxbialystock
    I was wrong about one big thing. Price still loves his fastball--way too much. A lefty hitter and he throws one right down the middle. Both starters so far for the Sox have thrown fat fastballs and paid the price and mixed in way too few breaking balls. Who ever is calling the pitches is just dead wrong.
  17. Maxbialystock
    That single was on the 3d exact pitch in a row in the same place. Who on the bench is calling the pitches?
  18. Maxbialystock
    Thanks for the reminder. I can get that way sometimes, but I'm with these guys today.
  19. Maxbialystock
    Helluva inning for Price. Two infield popups and a ground out to 3B. And not many pitches.
  20. Maxbialystock
    I think that gidp was his hardest hit ball in this series so far, and it wasn't hit that hard.
  21. Maxbialystock
    I like our chances for these reasons. 1. Price has been here. He wasn't very good, but he won't be in shock. 2. His last start was all about working on his changeup, curve, etc. Against Toronto. He gave up 1 run in 5 innings, his best start (run-wise) since August 22). Tonight he will not over-rely on his fast ball as Porcello seemed to do last night. 3. Kluber is very good, but control is usually an issue after a layoff. 4. Sox scored 4 runs last night despite 14 K's and bad nights for Bogaerts and Bradley. 5. Yes, the Guardians have the better bullpen, but it was the Sox bullpen that gave up 0 runs. The Guardians gave up 1 run and may have to use their two best again tonight.
  22. Maxbialystock
    He's been there many times before this year--132 at bats there and his highest OPS, .986.
  23. Maxbialystock
    But last night the Sox scored 4 runs. How was that laid back? The bullpen gave up 0 runs in 3.2 innings. Yes Benintendi was caught off guard, but it was also a daring play by the Guardians baserunner. Yes, Bradley had a couple off line throws, but we have seen them before--he's got a strong but not accurate arm. But the Sox also got a nice DP and at least one excellent play from Ramirez. Meanwhile, Porcello gave up 3 dingers and 5 runs in 4.1 innings and there is absolutely no way he was laid back. He just pitched a terrible game, simple as that.
  24. Maxbialystock
    Was 2010 really Francona's best managing job? Wasn't that the year the Sox won 89 games and finished 6 games behind the Yankees for the wild card? And as for 2011, didn't the Sox have like the worst September ever for a contending team? Weren't they like 7 and 20 in Sep 2011? And, while I entirely agree Beckett was the culprit on the beer and chicken in the clubhouse while games were being played, I have to wonder how that was even possible given all those coaches? As for Valentine, he was perfect for 2012 by making it so easy to fire him and get Farrell for 2013. He was Epstein's first choice anyway. I liked Francona and consistently defended him because we had some real idiots on BDC who truly believed that all losses are managerial failures of one kind or another--and never ever the fault of the players. It was claimed on BDC that good managers know how to put players in situations where they can excel. When they don't, it's on the managers.
  25. Maxbialystock
    Absolutely. Porcello's the best pitcher in the AL and a sure-fire Cy Young winner. Who cares if he gave up 3 dingers and 5 runs in 4.1 innings?
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