|
Post by soxfansince67 on Aug 26, 2016 23:16:29 GMT -5
Five runs in the first inning then shut down - it wasn't about Wright (a bit of rust is expected), but the horrendous, non-existent clutch hitting.
|
|
|
Post by patford on Aug 26, 2016 23:39:23 GMT -5
Wright righted the ship. I'm still all in on Buchholz. The team could use a shot in the arm. Moncada by the first or bust.
|
|
|
Post by redsox04071318champs on Aug 26, 2016 23:46:19 GMT -5
Wright did bury the Sox in that first inning, but I'd say that was rust. Maybe a rehab start might have been a better idea?
I'm afraid the Sox will also get another rust problem on Sunday with Rodriguez, although it hasn't been as long for him and he's not dealing with a "touch" pitch like a knuckleball.
Yes, the biggest problem is not cashing in opportunities. Too many times the Sox will have a runner on 3rd with nobody out and somehow not score. Today the greatest clutch hitter in Red Sox history killed a 9th inning rally with a DP grounder. It just seems to happen quite alot this year.
I want to believe in this team, but there's just something missing with this team. This team is such a talented team. I honestly think they're the best team in the league. I think only the Cubs have a better team in all of baseball, but the Sox get minimal results given their talent base.
Some teams just find a way to win...the 2013 team was amazing in that regard, the 2007 team seemed to coast, and the 2004 team just seemed to awaken from their slumber after that Yankee brawl game (yeah I know they didn't set the world on fire until a few weeks later, but that game really was the turning point in their season.). I haven't seen that kind of spark with this team, at least not yet.
|
|
|
Post by monitormichelle on Aug 27, 2016 1:03:09 GMT -5
I think the Sox were clicking best with Benintendi on the field. That's what really sucked about losing him and not knowing when he'll be back. I know he's just a rookie but his arrival just really brought some excitement back to the dugout (and the bottom of the order). I want them to figure it out so bad but I'm really not sold on Moncada being the answer. I know we want the ring now for Papi, I just don't want to rush Moncada. I think he gets called up next week, either way.
Worst thing for this team right now would be to get swept by the Royals. Price's outing feels like a must-win. Ugh.
On the positive side, he's been great lately. Pedroia is absolutely cooooooking in the leadoff spot and Xander definitely didn't make me want to drive into a concrete wall tonight.
Lastly, Tazawa is hot garbage.
|
|
|
Post by ancientsoxfogey on Aug 27, 2016 7:23:14 GMT -5
What're ya gonna do offensively?
Shaw's been cold for a few months now. JBJ, seemingly the ultimate hot-and-cold hitter, is in one of his funks again. Leon has started to come back down to Earth, which had to happen. And Benintendi got hurt at just the wrong time. That's half a lineup.
I'm not all that sold on Moncada as a help right now. Dubon plays a position where he can't help even if the organization thought he could be another Benintendi as a spark at least coming up now. Castillo apparently is no answer. Neither is Brentz, Vazquez, etc. We're stuck right now hoping somebody or somebodies can work their way out of their funks.
|
|
|
Post by redsox04071318champs on Aug 27, 2016 7:41:56 GMT -5
JBJ is certainly feast or famine. I hope he gets hot in October. Shaw has been awful since mid-May - almost makes you wish Sandoval was back at 3b. And you have to be really bad to even get that thought going.
I definitely think Moncada can help the Sox with his speed off the bench and I don't think it would be bad to expose him to major league pitching in some spots, but I don't think he'd take off the way Benintendi has. As others have pointed out, there's a lot of swing and miss to his game.
As far as Shaw goes, what is he now? Is he a guy who the league adjusted to in mid-May and that's it? If that's the case, that's a very big weak spot and Moncada has a very low bar to clear.
Then there could be another radical solution, one that I think is really out there and kind of unrealistic but worth considering for a moment before dismissing it as silly, which is what I think the ultimate conclusion is, but as good as Moncada has been in AA, Mauricio Dubon has been every bit as good. I think early on he was thought of a guy who was primarily a 2b, but perhaps could play SS or even 3b if need be - like a Asuaje who'd be a capable utility man in the majors. Dubon is performing right now like a guy who's better than a future utility man. Can he play 3b if Shaw continues to tank? Or are you just better off putting a struggling Brock Holt/Aaron Hill platoon at 3b with Young in LF while Benintendi is out?
Dubon is a thought, but not really a realistic one. I guess the Sox just go with a struggling Shaw/Hill platoon and hope he snaps out of it, but I'm not optimistic about it.
Maybe giving Moncada some ABs against RH pitching is worth a shot - maybe it can infuse a temporary spark. That's more likely than Dubon getting a chance now.
On the other hand, eventually JBJ will get hot again, I think. I like his odds of that better than Shaw's, though.
|
|
|
Post by patford on Aug 27, 2016 9:17:16 GMT -5
The thing to do is bring up Moncada and play him against right handed pitching only. Shaw has proven to be what he is. It never made sense that a player with his career minor league numbers was going to be a completely different hitter in the majors.
|
|
|
Post by jimed14 on Aug 27, 2016 9:56:42 GMT -5
17 base runners and only 3 runs. That's hard to do.
|
|
ericmvan
Veteran
Supposed to be working on something more important
Posts: 8,936
|
Post by ericmvan on Aug 27, 2016 10:34:54 GMT -5
How bad has the team clutch hitting been, on the season?
Before last night's game, it had cost them just 1.1 wins.
How is that possible? They've actually been way better with runners on (.299 / .367 / .501) than with the bases empty (.272 / .335 / .433).
With men on, they have struggled hugely in two different situations:
1) Bases loaded and 1 or 2 out. 2) Runner on 3rd, or on 2nd and 3rd, and 0 outs.
Here are the bases loaded heroes and (mostly) culprits. R is by Linear Weights, and the next column is per 600 PA. I've counted SF as 0 runs, which is about right.
Name PA BA OBP SLG R R/600 Hanley Ramirez 12 .364 .417 .545 0.73 36 Mookie Betts 9 .333 .333 .667 0.55 36 Chris Young 1 1.000 1.000 1.000 0.48 285 Brock Holt 7 .200 .143 .800 0.20 17 Sandy Leon 5 .400 .400 .400 0.05 6 Blake Swihart 3 .000 .333 .000 -0.28 -55 And. Benintendi 2 .000 .000 .000 -0.30 -90 Marco Hernandez 1 .000 .000 .000 -0.30 -180 Ryan LaMarre 1 .000 .000 .000 -0.30 -180 Travis Shaw 6 .000 .333 .000 -0.55 -55 Aaron Hill 3 .000 .000 .000 -0.90 -180 Bryce Brentz 3 .000 .000 .000 -0.90 -180 Josh Rutledge 2 .000 .000 .000 -0.90 -270 Dustin Pedroia 7 .286 .286 .286 -1.15 -99 David Ortiz 6 .000 .167 .000 -1.18 -118 Ryan Hanigan 6 .167 .167 .167 -1.33 -133 Jackie Bradley 16 .154 .250 .385 -1.38 -52 Xander Bogaerts 10 .111 .200 .111 -1.90 -114 Christ. Vazquez 9 .111 .111 .111 -2.23 -148 Bradley has come up a ton and hence hurt the team more than anyone but CV, but on a rate basis he's been the least bad of the bad guys, better than Hanigan, Ortiz, Bogaerts, Pedroia, and Shaw.
|
|
|
Post by soxfansince67 on Aug 27, 2016 11:44:31 GMT -5
I suspect that it is very complex - of course hitters are still trying to hit - but factors like fatigue, the league adjusting to hot hitters, and pressing all hurt to different degrees. It is certainly easier to be a fan sitting here criticizing than to be the person with the bat failing to come through.
Then again...if we didn't care so much for this team and its success, we wouldn't be discussing it like we do.
Thanks for posting those stats, ericmvan - fascinating.
|
|
|
Post by patford on Aug 27, 2016 12:41:28 GMT -5
Moncada strikes me as a "Big Stage" performer. I'd honestly be shocked if he came up and struggled with the bat. I would absolutely not have him hit against left handed pitching though.
|
|
|
Post by Canseco on Aug 27, 2016 12:49:18 GMT -5
Why can we seemingly never have traditional 1:00 starts on Saturdays? I am so tired of these weekend night games.
|
|
|
Post by monitormichelle on Aug 27, 2016 12:52:35 GMT -5
Why can we seemingly never have traditional 1:00 starts on Saturdays? I am so tired of these weekend night games. Because life isn't fair, Jose.
|
|
|
Post by soxfansince67 on Aug 27, 2016 14:15:07 GMT -5
Well, well. O's losing big. Jays losing big. And it will be there for the taking once more tonight. We can come out of all of this recent difficulty tied for first. Wow.
I still think that the Red Sox have the most talent, and are inherently the best team. If they can just play up to their talent for the rest of the season, it should all take care of itself. A big IF of course.
|
|
|
Post by monitormichelle on Aug 27, 2016 14:29:48 GMT -5
Well, well. O's losing big. Jays losing big. And it will be there for the taking once more tonight. We can come out of all of this recent difficulty tied for first. Wow. I still think that the Red Sox have the most talent, and are inherently the best team. If they can just play up to their talent for the rest of the season, it should all take care of itself. A big IF of course. Blue Jays about to come back again. You jinxed it!!
|
|
|
Post by soxfansince67 on Aug 27, 2016 15:10:33 GMT -5
Oh my....yep. Blue Jays are a team that knows how to come back and close - we saw the O's do this earlier on. Well, if Toronto holds on, at least we will have a bit more separation from the Os (if we win!). I don't believe in jinxes (he says sheepishly!)
|
|
|
Post by grandsalami on Aug 27, 2016 15:12:54 GMT -5
Twins= MLB version of Browns
|
|
|
Post by redsox04071318champs on Aug 27, 2016 15:13:24 GMT -5
And the Jays have come all the way back to take the lead. Great comeback by the Jays, acting like a team who wants to finish in first place.
And the Yankees are having the greatest "rebuild" years of all-time. Not only did they set themselves up for the future with a run of great trades, but they presently are sneaking up in the division. They are only about 4 games away from the Red Sox and are catching up on the Orioles and they have a lot of games left against the teams they're trying to pass. I don't think the Yanks will make the playoffs, but if they do, they've had just about as great a year as a team can have, simultaneously making the post-season while making their future much, much better than it was before the season started. At worst, their rebuild year will be a .500 year. That's impressive. It beats going 71-91.
|
|
|
Post by redsox04071318champs on Aug 27, 2016 15:14:06 GMT -5
Twins= MLB version of Browns Except against the Red Sox.
|
|
|
Post by redsox04071318champs on Aug 27, 2016 15:16:17 GMT -5
And the Jays have won.
|
|
|
Post by soxfansince67 on Aug 27, 2016 15:25:35 GMT -5
Sox have 6 games left against the Jays. 7 against the Os. 7 against the Yankees - we can's say that they won't have a chance to control their own destiny, anyway.
|
|
|
Post by Guidas on Aug 27, 2016 18:22:03 GMT -5
96 by Price in the first inning is good.
|
|
|
Post by monitormichelle on Aug 27, 2016 18:28:40 GMT -5
X gave it to em
|
|
|
Post by Guidas on Aug 27, 2016 18:30:41 GMT -5
Xander homer is good.
|
|
|
Post by ray88h66 on Aug 27, 2016 18:34:57 GMT -5
So, even with his recent slump, Xander is a shortstop hitting 310 with 16 big flies.
|
|