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9/3-9/5 Red Sox @ Braves Series Thread
ericmvan
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Post by ericmvan on Sept 5, 2018 23:42:29 GMT -5
I stopped watching when it was 6-1 and checked the progress of the game online periodically as I prepared to take a nap. I checked it one last time and went downstairs in time to see Mookie fan, and obviously watched to the end.
As a result I had to risk seeing a double bill of Smiles of a Summer Night (kicking off the local celebration of Bergman's 100th birthday) and Spike Lee's BlackKKlansman, needing 90 minutes of sleep I hadn't gotten. I just got back and can report that both films are great enough not to doze off during. Now to watch the highlights I missed on the DVR!
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ericmvan
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Post by ericmvan on Sept 5, 2018 23:54:25 GMT -5
I have to say: Brandon Phillips is quickly becoming one of my favorite Sox players. Not just because he hit that homer (but yes, of course, that too) but because of his winning personality and the way the entire team smiled back at his very winning smile. And then there is this: "Brandon Phillips is the first player in Red Sox history to hit a go-ahead HR in the 9th inning or later in his debut with the team (source: @eliassports)." Whats not to like? I just hope after a long and storied career he gets a ring. Hurray for the oldsters! Go look at @datdudebp on Twitter for a few dozen tweets and you'll see what a great guy he is. Absolutely everyone loves him. He'll be a great influence in the clubhouse. I watched the post-game interview and my immediate thoughts were, this guy is smart, and articulate.
My next thought was, you're not still playing in MLB at 37 with Phillips' very good but not great skill set unless you're smart. And the thought after that concerned a recent Sox HOFer who painfully never learned how to hit smartly (work a count, etc.) and whose career declined unusually rapidly.
There's no room for him on the post-season roster, but should Kinsler, Nunez, Devers, or Holt get hurt (maybe Bogaerts, too), there would be. This team has silly depth.
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Post by philsbosoxfan on Sept 6, 2018 0:00:28 GMT -5
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ericmvan
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Post by ericmvan on Sept 6, 2018 0:04:18 GMT -5
It’s funny...I had to work so I missed the game after seeing them down 2-0. I figured I’d check in but got caught up and forgot. On the way home i thought I’d check espn for scores, and before it even came up, i thought...”huh...they probably won.” And there it was. This team may take a bit to get the offense moving, but from the 4th inning or so on, they’re just ravenous for runs. Absolutely monstrous. They’re a no joke juggernaut. As an aside, give TB credit for smoking them that series...the only team to sweep all year. That TB team is going to be dangerous next year (hell, they are this year). The East is gonna be brutal in ‘19. But for now, let’s enjoy this incredible, apparently unstoppable force known as the 2018 Boston Red Sox. What a fantastic team made up of a *bunch* of likable guys. Cheers, and welcome, Brandon Phillips!! Based on strength of schedule through Sunday, the Rays would be tied with the Indians if they'd played their schedule. That division has three of the four worst teams in baseball, and the Indians are 31-12 against them and 48-48 against everyone else.
Meanwhile, we're 21-14 against top 10 teams in my adjusted standings, thanks to a 7-game winning streak.
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Post by soxfaninnj on Sept 6, 2018 0:11:18 GMT -5
Da Yankees lose! Magic number 13!
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Sept 6, 2018 0:32:12 GMT -5
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ericmvan
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Supposed to be working on something more important
Posts: 8,915
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Post by ericmvan on Sept 6, 2018 0:33:21 GMT -5
Over the last 9 games the Red Sox have scored 42 runs from the 7th inning on, in 25.1 innings.
That's 14.9 runs per 9 innings.
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Post by jimed14 on Sept 6, 2018 6:52:12 GMT -5
Over the last 9 games the Red Sox have scored 42 runs from the 7th inning on, in 25.1 innings.
That's 14.9 runs per 9 innings.
That's a lot of really crappy bullpens that are worse than the Red Sox'.
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Post by philsbosoxfan on Sept 6, 2018 7:43:36 GMT -5
Gordon Edes@GordonEdes 2h2 hours ago
The morning after, I still can’t get over this: Until Brandon Phillips @datdudebp happened, MLB teams were 0-487 when down by six or more runs entering the eighth.
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Post by voiceofreason on Sept 6, 2018 11:09:58 GMT -5
That was a good Atlanta bp that the Sox beat up on.
Atlanta played terrible D and it cost them in all 3 games, the Sox play great D.
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Post by Don Caballero on Sept 6, 2018 11:37:12 GMT -5
Should be easy. "Hey, let's order some KFC. Yeah, whose turn is it anyway to go on a beer run? They'll let you back in with it, don't worry. We're pros."
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Post by Oregon Norm on Sept 6, 2018 12:00:34 GMT -5
I watched early on till it got seemingly out of hand. Had work to do in town so I took the dog with me and we headed off. Later on I checked my phone just in time to see the team get back in it 7-5. By the time I got home they'd tied it. I watched the final inning, a great way to prepare lunch.
The NL teams should be glad the Sox aren't in that league. The team is so deep they would have a field day running pinch-hitters up there. For all the complaints about Nunez, the streaky hitting from Holt, Leon's latest offensive hole, and the endless hammering of Vazquez, they have so many guys they can roll in that NY never really had a chance to grab the banner from them. Now it's Brandon Phillips. It makes me want to wave a Free Joey Votto banner. After being buried alive in Cincinnati, the former decided that the final push would be with a winner, a team that just might take it all. Good for him and great for the Red Sox.
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Post by telson13 on Sept 7, 2018 0:11:10 GMT -5
It’s funny...I had to work so I missed the game after seeing them down 2-0. I figured I’d check in but got caught up and forgot. On the way home i thought I’d check espn for scores, and before it even came up, i thought...”huh...they probably won.” And there it was. This team may take a bit to get the offense moving, but from the 4th inning or so on, they’re just ravenous for runs. Absolutely monstrous. They’re a no joke juggernaut. As an aside, give TB credit for smoking them that series...the only team to sweep all year. That TB team is going to be dangerous next year (hell, they are this year). The East is gonna be brutal in ‘19. But for now, let’s enjoy this incredible, apparently unstoppable force known as the 2018 Boston Red Sox. What a fantastic team made up of a *bunch* of likable guys. Cheers, and welcome, Brandon Phillips!! Based on strength of schedule through Sunday, the Rays would be tied with the Indians if they'd played their schedule. That division has three of the four worst teams in baseball, and the Indians are 31-12 against them and 48-48 against everyone else.
Meanwhile, we're 21-14 against top 10 teams in my adjusted standings, thanks to a 7-game winning streak.
Totally unrelated, but I’m curious about your opinion. Earlier in the year I was advocating for the Sox to acquire either German Marquez (not happening now: www.fangraphs.com/blogs/somethings-gotten-into-german-marquez/) or Jon Gray (much less likely given his pedigree and results history, but maybe possible as he was really struggling this year despite very good peripherals...terrible strand rate playing a big role). I’m a big advocate of taking a chance on a young pitcher who’s hit an MLB wall but who could slot 4/5 in a rotation of Sale/Price/Rodriguez/?/? (assuming Porcello is traded and the return flipped with additional prospects for the young guy). I was big on Paxton (good call) and Taijuan Walker (bad call) a couple of years ago, when they were in similar positions. I like Wheeler tho he doesn’t really fit that profile, but I think he’s got some serious upside and might be amenable to extension. The Braves have some arms, too. Any thoughts on who might fall in that pre-prime dead zone (think E Rodriguez in the midst of his injuries) where they might be available at reasonable cost and “stashed” at the back of the Sox likely outstanding rotation? I’m really hoping the Sox go that way in the off-season (as much as I like Porcello, his contract and impending FA are seriously problematic) to fill the 4/5 spots (presuming Wright takes one, but with the injury caveat). Just seems like saving $25M between Porcello and Pomeranz leaving creates some space post Hanley/Pablo contracts (and probably post-Kimbrel) to reload and extend the window. And, big arms who don’t cut it could always turn into Barnes or, better, prime Wade Davis. Seems like aggressively picking those guys (as TB has with Glasnow and maybe Beeks even) is never more important than now. Like, how cheaply could they get Giolito? He was awful to start the year, but he’s come on a bit...not my first choice but I bet he’d make a good reliever. What about Gohara? Or could they get Soroka?
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Post by philsbosoxfan on Sept 7, 2018 5:58:17 GMT -5
Based on strength of schedule through Sunday, the Rays would be tied with the Indians if they'd played their schedule. That division has three of the four worst teams in baseball, and the Indians are 31-12 against them and 48-48 against everyone else. Meanwhile, we're 21-14 against top 10 teams in my adjusted standings, thanks to a 7-game winning streak.
Totally unrelated, but I’m curious about your opinion. Earlier in the year I was advocating for the Sox to acquire either German Marquez (not happening now: www.fangraphs.com/blogs/somethings-gotten-into-german-marquez/) or Jon Gray (much less likely given his pedigree and results history, but maybe possible as he was really struggling this year despite very good peripherals...terrible strand rate playing a big role). I’m a big advocate of taking a chance on a young pitcher who’s hit an MLB wall but who could slot 4/5 in a rotation of Sale/Price/Rodriguez/?/? (assuming Porcello is traded and the return flipped with additional prospects for the young guy). I was big on Paxton (good call) and Taijuan Walker (bad call) a couple of years ago, when they were in similar positions. I like Wheeler tho he doesn’t really fit that profile, but I think he’s got some serious upside and might be amenable to extension. The Braves have some arms, too. Any thoughts on who might fall in that pre-prime dead zone (think E Rodriguez in the midst of his injuries) where they might be available at reasonable cost and “stashed” at the back of the Sox likely outstanding rotation? I’m really hoping the Sox go that way in the off-season (as much as I like Porcello, his contract and impending FA are seriously problematic) to fill the 4/5 spots (presuming Wright takes one, but with the injury caveat). Just seems like saving $25M between Porcello and Pomeranz leaving creates some space post Hanley/Pablo contracts (and probably post-Kimbrel) to reload and extend the window. And, big arms who don’t cut it could always turn into Barnes or, better, prime Wade Davis. Seems like aggressively picking those guys (as TB has with Glasnow and maybe Beeks even) is never more important than now. Like, how cheaply could they get Giolito? He was awful to start the year, but he’s come on a bit...not my first choice but I bet he’d make a good reliever. What about Gohara? Or could they get Soroka? I'm pretty sure the White Sox plan is Giolito, Rodon and Kopech for many years to come. I also don't see why you don't think all three have pedigrees, especially Giolito. On the other hand, I wouldn't mind seeing the Sox pursue Jon Gray who might be better served by another venue besides Coors Field. ADD: I also see it as highly unlikely that the Sox trade Porcello. The two big starter questions are Price's opt out and weather or not Eovaldi is the real deal. Pomeranz might also be back on a team favorable pillow contract in an attempt to build up his value.
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Post by telson13 on Sept 7, 2018 21:56:16 GMT -5
Totally unrelated, but I’m curious about your opinion. Earlier in the year I was advocating for the Sox to acquire either German Marquez (not happening now: www.fangraphs.com/blogs/somethings-gotten-into-german-marquez/) or Jon Gray (much less likely given his pedigree and results history, but maybe possible as he was really struggling this year despite very good peripherals...terrible strand rate playing a big role). I’m a big advocate of taking a chance on a young pitcher who’s hit an MLB wall but who could slot 4/5 in a rotation of Sale/Price/Rodriguez/?/? (assuming Porcello is traded and the return flipped with additional prospects for the young guy). I was big on Paxton (good call) and Taijuan Walker (bad call) a couple of years ago, when they were in similar positions. I like Wheeler tho he doesn’t really fit that profile, but I think he’s got some serious upside and might be amenable to extension. The Braves have some arms, too. Any thoughts on who might fall in that pre-prime dead zone (think E Rodriguez in the midst of his injuries) where they might be available at reasonable cost and “stashed” at the back of the Sox likely outstanding rotation? I’m really hoping the Sox go that way in the off-season (as much as I like Porcello, his contract and impending FA are seriously problematic) to fill the 4/5 spots (presuming Wright takes one, but with the injury caveat). Just seems like saving $25M between Porcello and Pomeranz leaving creates some space post Hanley/Pablo contracts (and probably post-Kimbrel) to reload and extend the window. And, big arms who don’t cut it could always turn into Barnes or, better, prime Wade Davis. Seems like aggressively picking those guys (as TB has with Glasnow and maybe Beeks even) is never more important than now. Like, how cheaply could they get Giolito? He was awful to start the year, but he’s come on a bit...not my first choice but I bet he’d make a good reliever. What about Gohara? Or could they get Soroka? I'm pretty sure the White Sox plan is Giolito, Rodon and Kopech for many years to come. I also don't see why you don't think all three have pedigrees, especially Giolito. On the other hand, I wouldn't mind seeing the Sox pursue Jon Gray who might be better served by another venue besides Coors Field. ADD: I also see it as highly unlikely that the Sox trade Porcello. The two big starter questions are Price's opt out and weather or not Eovaldi is the real deal. Pomeranz might also be back on a team favorable pillow contract in an attempt to build up his value. I think the chances Price opts out are less than 2%, so I don’t see that as a question. The question I allude to is how the Sox deal with the 4/5 spots in light of Porcello’s, Eovaldi’s, and Pomeranz’s FA, and how they address the forward-looking salary issues. I think you’re conflating my statement re:pedigree...I was solely referring to Gray in light of his initial cost outlay/potential ace/history of solid if not spectacular performance at a young age. All three of Giolito/Rodon/Kopech have pedigrees; in the case of Giolito it’s probably the only thing that gives him value; Kopech as a 1s has improved his stock (even w TJ now), and Rodon has a strong pedigree in terms of draft position, but is a “known” commodity by now (tho he might also fit into the “stock down a bit, pre-prime” space...but I think would, like Gray, be tough to obtain based on draft history and solid but unspectacular results that mean a next step is close; for Gray especially there’s ace upside that *looks close*. Kopech too, but he hasn’t had 2-3 years of middling/poor results that might make a team ready to give up. A position player equivalent might be Byron Buxton. He’s had injuries, contact issues, and unforeseen holes in his game. He’s about to become more costly (tho there’s SvcTm manipulation there) for a fiscally very conservative team with lots of holes. He’s a buy-low candidate with lots of risk but still lots of upside. Even if he got to just league-avg offensively, healthy he might be worth 4 WAR based on D and BsR. The Sox could stash him at 9 in the lineup, trade JBJ, and put Buxton out there and hope he becomes that 4-WAR player, knowing they could still probably cope with a 75-80 wRC+ because the rest of their lineup is so strong. So they’d basically get a player of similar value/style to JBJ but with more control, youth, and more upside. Buxton is the Gray/Marquez equivalent, JBJ the Porcello. I’m not necessarily advocating a Buxton acquisition btw, just drawing a parallel approach. I think the Sox are in a position, due to their depth, to take a few risks with, say, 1-1.5 WAR downside in the shorter term, but 2-3 WAR upside a little longer-term, at the same time cutting significant salary. Idk about Pomeranz. He’s not getting a QO. Idk what he would cost on a pillow deal, but if it’s real cheap ($5M or less), sure. Eovaldi is another big question as far as market goes. I think the Sox are better off trying to get a young pitcher who’s currently putting up 4/5 results but has low salary and several control years. I think they really need to limit the 4/5 spot costs, which would mean moving Porcello. It’s my opinion that, if they extend Sale, he and Rodriguez and Price make for a 1st-division 1-2-3, as they could very well be among the top 2 or three players at their rotation positions. Both Price and Rodriguez are capable of pitching as 1/1a, meaning they’d easily be among the best #2 and #3 starters in the league. I think that makes risk at 4/5 a lot more palatable if it means cost certainty and payroll flexibility down the road. FWIW, the same could be said of getting Buxton.
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Post by philsbosoxfan on Sept 8, 2018 0:02:44 GMT -5
For me, especially based on the recent Pedroia comments, the Sox aren't going to need much tinkering this off season. Random thoughts....
Let's not forget, Hanley comes off the books, that's big.
If they are counting on Pedroia, Kinsler won't be back but they might sign Phillips to a budget contract.
I see them signing Pearce to a budget contract.
I like the changes they are trying with Eovaldi (NESN probably didn't mention it but the Braves commentary was all over it). Basically they want him throwing higher in the zone and pointed out that it's not an easy transition on three days notice.
If Price returns, I'd have no issues with Sale, Price, ERod, Porcello, Eovaldi, Johnson as my six. They only need another starter if Price opts out.
I don't see them offering Kimbrel what it will take to keep him but I also don't see the Sox spending big on any closer with Feltman and Lakins looming and Brasier looking like he could handle it. Closers just don't add much WAR. it's not as important as visual logic would make it seem.
I don't see the Sox holding onto 3 catchers. All three have value relative to their contracts.
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