|
|
Post by jmei on Oct 15, 2013 17:01:14 GMT -5
Lackey's curveball is sharp. If the Tigers want to swing, they'll swing over it all day.
|
|
|
|
Post by Guidas on Oct 15, 2013 17:01:19 GMT -5
Awesome work by Lackey there!
|
|
|
|
Post by Guidas on Oct 15, 2013 17:01:48 GMT -5
Pinch hit for .078 drew here, please. And. I. Am. Not. Kidding. Can it be that the answer is as simple as having to give the Tigers' starters credit. Maybe we are simply seeing the most dominant stretch of starting pitching in the history of major league playoff baseball. They have completely overwhelmed the [statistically at least] best hitting team in the major leagues this year. It's like they're facing a high school team out there. Nah. Screw them. |
|
jimoh
Veteran
Posts: 3,984 
|
Post by jimoh on Oct 15, 2013 17:03:25 GMT -5
There's no way Xander could've gone 2-22 in the playoffs. Mike Greenwell was 1-6 at age 22 in 1986; 2 years later he was the non-steroid MVP. Kevin Youkilis was 0-2 in 2004 at age 25 after having 248 PAs in the regular season. Ellsbury was unusual. |
|
|
|
Post by ancientsoxfogey on Oct 15, 2013 17:04:44 GMT -5
Well, at least you have to admit that the cocky comments made about the Sox being able to score off anyone (except maybe Kershaw) are about as off base as anything we've seen on a discussion board in a LONG time.
|
|
|
|
Post by Guidas on Oct 15, 2013 17:08:26 GMT -5
Ok, gotta let Ells get to second here, Shane.
|
|
|
|
Post by pedroelgrande on Oct 15, 2013 17:08:53 GMT -5
Line drive up the middle. I've been wondering where you were.
|
|
|
|
Post by brianthetaoist on Oct 15, 2013 17:10:22 GMT -5
Run, Jacoby, run!
|
|
|
|
Post by soxfanatic on Oct 15, 2013 17:17:13 GMT -5
Wouldn't suprise me if Jacoby's foot is hurting. Why wouldn't you steal in that situation? Avila isn't good at throwing runners out at all.
|
|
|
|
Post by burythehammer on Oct 15, 2013 17:17:18 GMT -5
This is getting ridiculous. These guys are good, they're not 99 Pedro or Koufax in his prime.
|
|
|
|
Post by burythehammer on Oct 15, 2013 17:18:11 GMT -5
Getting to second base is nice but after that someone else has to hit a ball out of the infield.
|
|
|
|
Post by jmei on Oct 15, 2013 17:25:28 GMT -5
It's hard to understate how great Lackey has been so far. Five swings-and-misses versus Miguel Cabrera on fastballs. Matching zeros with Verlander. This is playoff baseball at its best.
|
|
|
|
Post by brianthetaoist on Oct 15, 2013 17:26:35 GMT -5
Great pitching from Lackey, just huge. Really, outside of one inning where Buchholz lost it, the Sox have put together a terrific pitching performance of their own.
|
|
|
|
Post by jmei on Oct 15, 2013 17:28:10 GMT -5
Dan Brooks @brooksbaseball Retweeted by Brian MacPherson
Verlander has 14 swinging strikes. Lackey has 16
Brian MacPherson @brianmacp
Through six innings, Lackey has more swings and misses, has thrown fewer pitches and has issued fewer walks than Verlander.
|
|
|
|
Post by ancientsoxfogey on Oct 15, 2013 17:28:31 GMT -5
Getting to second base is nice but after that someone else has to hit a ball out of the infield. But boy has Lackey warmed to the task. He's going pitch for pitch with Verlander now. An interesting thought: With the series tied 1-1 and no result in sight in this one, it wouldn't be at all surprising for the series to be tied 2-2 after tomorrow. Then it's a best of 3 with the Tigers' 3 top guys pitching in rotation again. Could they pull off a set of efforts even remotely comparable to what they've done in these first 3 games? |
|
|
|
Post by soxfanatic on Oct 15, 2013 17:31:47 GMT -5
He can hit?
|
|
|
|
Post by Guidas on Oct 15, 2013 17:31:57 GMT -5
Finally Napoli gets a hit of consequence!!!
|
|
|
|
Post by jmei on Oct 15, 2013 17:32:29 GMT -5
Those high-K guys also walk a lot (exception: Middlebrooks) and are very possible of hitting one out at any moment (see Gomes' first at-bat), which might be the better avenue of scoring runs considering how utterly incapable the lineup seems of stringing a couple hits together. Frankly, I'm more upset that Ellsbury and Victorino have shown zero ability to put the ball in play, which is the best offensive skill for both those players. I mean, maybe Xander would have hit better than Drew/Middlebrooks, but that's mostly because it'd be tough to hit worse than they have so far. Going forward though? Not sure Xander would be much of an upgrade on either. I don't think walks are all that important right now when none of them can get a hit at all. How much time can you wait for Napoli or Middlebrooks or Drew to get hits, because as we know, it can take a long freakin' time for them to get something going, especially the first two. Told you. |
|
|
|
Post by pedroelgrande on Oct 15, 2013 17:32:35 GMT -5
Finally #NapNation
|
|
|
|
Post by pedroelgrande on Oct 15, 2013 17:33:18 GMT -5
It was about damn time.
|
|
|
|
Post by MLBDreams on Oct 15, 2013 17:34:29 GMT -5
Now, let's John pitching one more inning for shutout and have the bullpen finish the job!
|
|
|
|
Post by ancientsoxfogey on Oct 15, 2013 17:34:35 GMT -5
It's like I tell my granddaughter - Nap time!!!
|
|
|
|
Post by jdb on Oct 15, 2013 17:39:16 GMT -5
I think that's 112 for Verlander so we should be in the pen sooner rather than later.
|
|
|
|
Post by preston on Oct 15, 2013 17:39:43 GMT -5
That was awesome.
|
|
|
|
Post by jmei on Oct 15, 2013 17:47:41 GMT -5
I'm agnostic about this move. Lackey out after 6.2, Breslow in to face Avila.
|
|
