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Post by pedroiaesque on Apr 2, 2019 11:13:36 GMT -5
Could the pitching staff need a little bit of Sandy Leon? With all the focus on pitching why is a catcher with one of the best if not the best catching era's in basball last year get no credit? Yeah, this sounds vaguely familiar. What did it take in 2016, 6 total games before Swihart was removed from behind the dish? Hopefully, Cora will be less reactionary (and pitcher coddling) than John Farrell was. Maybe if it gets bad enough, you could pull a 2006 Doug Mirabelli and race Leon up to Fenway with a police escort for the home opener.
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Post by ramireja on Apr 2, 2019 11:17:28 GMT -5
Friendly reminder:
2015 was the year of "he's the ace." Through one full turn of the rotation, Clay Buchholz, Rick Porcello, Justin Masterson, Wade Miley, and Joe Kelly combined for this line:
31.1 INN 17H 8R 8ER 9BB 34K
That was good for a 2.30 ERA and 0.83 WHIP. I think we all remember how that season finished (or we blocked it out of our memories).
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Post by fenwaythehardway on Apr 2, 2019 11:51:50 GMT -5
There isnt enough performance to determine if there is a catching variable to the starters bad pitching, but it isn't unreasonable to point it out. I mean... why isn't it? Again, we're a week into the season. And furthermore, hat-tip to Andy McCullough for this question, when did baseball fans lose the capacity to just blame the player when a player performs poorly? It's like somehow too unsophisticated to do that anymore, it has to be the pitch calling or some managerial decision or the front office pays too much attention to spin rate or not enough attention to spin rate... how about this, our pitchers have been getting crushed because they've been throwing crushable pitches?
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kevfc89
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Post by kevfc89 on Apr 2, 2019 14:05:07 GMT -5
not to mention the bullpen overall has been pretty decent (especially compared to expectations), so in this theory of Vazquez incompetence it's somehow just the starters he affects?
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Apr 2, 2019 14:23:38 GMT -5
I look at it this way.
If you told me the Sox would kick butt in October but they'd struggle for the first few weeks in 2019 or that they would do well but ultimately lose a few crucial games in the late innings with an overworked bullpen in October but be right back and at'em again in 2019, I'd take the former, not the latter. That 2018 flag is flying forever. Meanwhile the Dodgers rested Baez and Urias in Game 4, so I guess if Joe Kelly doesn't sabotage them this April they'll be off to a flying start.
Point is that Alex Cora is correct.
If you get off to a 1-4 start, that does suck, as would a 5-8 start or something like that, but it's not the end of the world. If they have more gas in the tank for the end of the season, then it's worth the gamble.
Unless you do what the 1996 Red Sox did, which was to go 3-15 to start the season - and despite that they still had a crack at making the playoffs at the end of the season, the first couple of weeks will ultimately cease to matter and fortunately they only have 2 more late night West Coast games the rest of the season after April 7th.
Ultimately I think the rotation will be fine, and the bullpen will be the issue. I hope Heath Hembree isn't our 3rd best reliever. That's still a scary thought.
Ultimately they'll start playing better. I doubt that the law of averages allows them to have every little thing go their way on the field in 2019, but as long as they don't get too far back, they'll be ok. Fortunately the Yankees are dealing with some injuries. Andujar would be a huge loss. He's the best hitter on that team (Judge is the best offensive player on that team, which is a little bit different and more important). Stanton is a loss. Severino is still out for a little while. Betances has his issues.
I think the Yankees will be fine ultimately, too, but as long as the Sox don't dig themselves too deep a hole they'll be alright.
As far as entertainment value goes, there has been very little of that. The Sox have been losing at just about every point of every game. Without Strickland having his own injury, the Sox might be 0-5.
I think it'll start to turn around when the Sox get to Fenway, but I'm hoping they're no worse off than 5-6 (I'd anticipate 4-7) by then.
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Post by jimed14 on Apr 2, 2019 17:12:19 GMT -5
West coast trips really put a hurting on east coast teams. They have to play at a time they're used to being asleep and their bodies do not adjust quickly enough.
Nothing to be concerned about yet. I mean what could they have done differently? Assemble a completely different rotation or skip the playoffs last year?
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Post by rjp313jr on Apr 2, 2019 19:38:52 GMT -5
West coast trips really put a hurting on east coast teams. They have to play at a time they're used to being asleep and their bodies do not adjust quickly enough. Nothing to be concerned about yet. I mean what could they have done differently? Assemble a completely different rotation or skip the playoffs last year? They could have not slow played spring training so much. Before you get mad and defensive, I’m not saying they necessarily should have but it’s certainly hurting them right now. Time will tell whether it’s a good decision or not.
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Post by soxfansince67 on Apr 2, 2019 20:03:07 GMT -5
Of course this isn't much fun - the transition of going from historic wins to a fizzle season start is miserable for we bleeding-Red-Sox-red blood types. But....this team will rip off some big winning streaks - a 10 game win streak puts us at 11-4 and off to the races. So - pretty chilled out here in Raleigh, listening to the Bruins (they can clinch home ice tonight), and eagerly awaiting the Sox game. Before long we will see Benny slashing line drives, Mookie doing Mookie things, and on and on - and lots of high quality starts. After all, no one expects the Spanish Inquisition! (for Python fans only!) Even better - Chapman just gave up two runs late in a tie game. Yankees going down again, perhaps!
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Post by Don Caballero on Apr 2, 2019 20:40:42 GMT -5
Hey, win tonight and we're half a game back the MFY. I'm pinning that as a must win.
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Post by soxfansince67 on Apr 2, 2019 20:50:44 GMT -5
One good thing already - Brockstar playing tonight, Nunez not.
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Post by Guidas on Apr 2, 2019 21:01:07 GMT -5
Break up the Rays!
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Post by chrisfromnc on Apr 2, 2019 21:16:25 GMT -5
So let’s hope the first start sufficiently knocked all the rust off for Chris Sale everyone.
edit 🙁
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Post by soxfansince67 on Apr 2, 2019 21:20:10 GMT -5
At a loss for words...
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Post by grandsalami on Apr 2, 2019 21:20:26 GMT -5
We stink!
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Post by soxfaninnj on Apr 2, 2019 21:20:31 GMT -5
Here we go again
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Post by wildsox on Apr 2, 2019 21:22:23 GMT -5
I’ve run out of words to describe this start of the year
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Post by Guidas on Apr 2, 2019 21:22:29 GMT -5
No FB over 89mph for Sale so far.
Except for one that hit 104mph, but it reached that velocity heading out of the park.
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Post by soxfansince67 on Apr 2, 2019 21:23:56 GMT -5
Already over 20 pitches. Will be another bullpen test tonight. Not good.
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kevfc89
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Post by kevfc89 on Apr 2, 2019 21:23:59 GMT -5
88mph fastballs from Sale; are we not supposed to be concerned at all?
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Post by chrisfromnc on Apr 2, 2019 21:24:03 GMT -5
He passed the physical, right?
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Post by kjkramer on Apr 2, 2019 21:24:37 GMT -5
Wow No velocity Actually even worse velocity and control Not good at all
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bosox
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Post by bosox on Apr 2, 2019 21:25:45 GMT -5
Too many pitches in the first inning.
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Post by grandsalami on Apr 2, 2019 21:26:06 GMT -5
Sale will go on the igloo after the game
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Post by kjkramer on Apr 2, 2019 21:28:14 GMT -5
He passed the physical, right? He CANT be physically fit
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Post by chrisfromnc on Apr 2, 2019 21:32:12 GMT -5
I’ve run out of words to describe this start of the year A fair number of this list has been used, but I provide it for the sake of discussion. bad terrible awful cruddy crappy horrible horrid putrid sucky stinky nauseating sickening depressing revolting disgusting lame feel free to add your own
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