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Post by mattpicard on May 6, 2016 9:17:07 GMT -5
5/6 Red Sox (RHP Rick Porcello 5-0 2.76) @ Yankees (RHP Michael Pineda 1-3 6.33) 7:05 pm ET, NESN/MLBN/WEEI5/7 Red Sox (LHP David Price 4-0 6.14) @ Yankees (RHP Nathan Eovaldi 1-2 5.46) 1:05 pm ET, NESN/WEEI5/8 Red Sox (RHP Steven Wright 2-3 1.67) @ Yankees (RHP Luis Severino 0-4 6.31) 8:05 pm ET, ESPN/WEEIMLB StandingsRed Sox Hitting StatsRed Sox Pitching StatsMLB ScoreboardMLB TransactionsWeatherSeries Thread Disclaimer: The SoxProspects Moderators will be somewhat liberal in policing the Red Sox "Series" Threads. Some of the Ground Rules are applied loosely in here, as we understand that there is a tendency to want to react (or overreact) to every play of a Sox game with one line reactionary posts. Those posts are okay in the Red Sox Series threads to a point - we certainly appreciate the passion. Just try not to overdo it, and try to maintain some semblance of reason. In addition, please don't let those type of posts spill over to other more substantive threads, where they may be deleted. -The Management
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ericmvan
Veteran
Supposed to be working on something more important
Posts: 8,941
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Post by ericmvan on May 6, 2016 9:46:00 GMT -5
Last post in the ChiSox thread mentioned the batting order, so here are three tweaks they should be either doing immediately (#1), planning to do (#2), or contemplating (#3).
1) Swap Bradley and Holt. In 2015-16, excluding the catchers (who hit 8th) and Hanley (whose numbers aren't representative), Holt is last in SA by a good deal, and fourth in OBP (after Ortiz, Pedroia, and Bogaerts). He has "second lead-off hitter" all but stamped on his forehead. Furthermore, he'll face a lot of LHP hitting after Shaw, but you won't be able to hit Young for him; whereas hitting 9th, they can't bring in a LHP to face him without getting Young instead. Meanwhile, Bradley has the lowest OBP and the second-highest SA of the 7 guys, which makes him the ideal last-good-hitter-before-the-catcher. Why he is in a table-setting role? And he has the smallest split of the three LHB, so he's the ideal guy to be the LHB following another LHB.
2) Re-arrange Betts, Pedroia, and Bogaerts. Pedroia and Bogaerts have the higher OBPs (.358, .358, .333) while Mookie has the best SA (.469, .454 Pedey, .422 X). I think that agrees with our senses of what kinds of hitters they are right now. So there's a pretty good argument for swapping Bogaerts and Betts. Pedroia, Bogaerts, Betts would work as well, if that was more comfortable for them. Oh, and X has very good numbers leading off an inning in his career, while Betts has no split to speak of and has been awful the first time around the order. Might all be random, but if it's not, the switch will help even more. I'd probably make this switch as soon as the offense scuffles for a few games, as it will inevitably do.
3) Go L-R-L. Ortiz hits 3rd and Hanley hits 6th. Right now, it's unclear whether Shaw or Bradley has the OBP to work as a #5 hitter, and you do lose a little value from Ortiz by the switch from 4 to 3, which you won't recover from his own platoon splits -- but that can be more than offset by Betts seeing a lot more LHR, and Shaw and Badley a bit less. I think this happens only if both Betts and Shaw or Bradley up their OBPs; right now, none of them get on base often enough to hit 4 or 5. But that could very easily change.
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Post by 07redsox on May 6, 2016 10:19:31 GMT -5
Going to the game tonight (first game ever!). Any suggestions?
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Post by okin15 on May 6, 2016 10:24:28 GMT -5
Is SA the same as SLG? And can you explain why you feel the 4 and 5-hitters want to have high OBP as opposed to higher slugging or something? Just curious, not disagreeing.
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Post by templeusox on May 6, 2016 10:24:44 GMT -5
Going to the game tonight (first game ever!). Any suggestions? New Yankee Stadium is a soulless mausoleum.The garlic fries are good though. Enjoy.
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Post by okin15 on May 6, 2016 10:25:55 GMT -5
It's nice to skip Tanaka this weekend. I'm going to my first game at Yankee stadium (any) tomorrow. Very excited despite the nose-bleed seats.
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Post by Canseco on May 6, 2016 10:28:13 GMT -5
One at a time. Here's to hoping The Cooler keeps his hot start going on the hill.
Pick to click in this series? Jackie.
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Post by templeusox on May 6, 2016 10:30:25 GMT -5
One at a time. Here's to hoping The Cooler keeps his hot start going on the hill. Pick to click in this series? Jackie. Pick to click is definitely Hanley. The way he's depositing ball's the other way, NYS is the perfect place for him to hit right now.
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Post by jmei on May 6, 2016 10:34:26 GMT -5
Going to the game tonight (first game ever!). Any suggestions? New Yankee Stadium is a soulless mausoleum.The garlic fries are good though. Enjoy. Second the garlic fries. With the wet and rainy weather, a lot of the primo seats are going to be empty, and by the fifth or sixth inning the ushers start to get lax.
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Post by 07redsox on May 6, 2016 10:40:27 GMT -5
New Yankee Stadium is a soulless mausoleum.The garlic fries are good though. Enjoy. Second the garlic fries. With the wet and rainy weather, a lot of the primo seats are going to be empty, and by the fifth or sixth inning the ushers start to get lax. Great to hear! The seats aren't front row or anything, but they aren't nosebleed either. Probably half way back or a little closer. Would definitely love to be able to move up a little if that opportunity arises though!
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nomar
Veteran
Posts: 10,907
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Post by nomar on May 6, 2016 10:43:14 GMT -5
New Yankee Stadium is a soulless mausoleum.The garlic fries are good though. Enjoy. Second the garlic fries. With the wet and rainy weather, a lot of the primo seats are going to be empty, and by the fifth or sixth inning the ushers start to get lax. Judgment free zone everyone... Has anyone dared to try their sushi? I think it's ridiculous that you can get sushi at a baseball game, but this interests me still conceptually.
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Post by templeusox on May 6, 2016 10:49:15 GMT -5
I've tried the Legend Suites sushi. Not sure if there are different variations around the stadium. It's fine. They make it there, but it's similar to same day supermarket sushi.
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radiohix
Veteran
'At the end of the day, we bang. We bang. We're going to swing.' Alex Verdugo
Posts: 6,416
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Post by radiohix on May 6, 2016 10:58:22 GMT -5
One at a time. Here's to hoping The Cooler keeps his hot start going on the hill. Pick to click in this series? Jackie. I kept looking for Hanley in the flames, but all I was seeing was Zander. Two dingers from the Arubian god in this series.
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nomar
Veteran
Posts: 10,907
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Post by nomar on May 6, 2016 11:18:01 GMT -5
Not liking Hanley's inability to pull the ball on the air so far this season. Timing still looks like it's off even with the reduced leg kick.
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Post by costpet on May 6, 2016 11:21:00 GMT -5
Short porch for Papi and Shaw and even Jr. Could see some going out.
Just dreaming, but a sweep this weekend could see the MFY out by 10 games. Life is good.
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Post by pedroelgrande on May 6, 2016 11:25:08 GMT -5
Let's beat up on the worst team in the league.
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Post by thursty on May 6, 2016 11:35:42 GMT -5
Totally agree on the idea of swapping Holt and Bradley; it's almost too obvious.
I also agree that Xander is profiling as a leadoff hitter (although perhaps too facile, the Jeter comparisons, both good and bad, are too enticing to ignore), especially if this spike in walk rate is real. And given his baserunning, which isn't Mookie-level, but is still elite
But I can't see hitting Betts 3rd at the moment. He has a 293 OBP and a 93+. All of the talent is there, but he seems confused for now. And I don't think it's all BABIP bad luck (even though I'd like too); if he continues to eschew walks (and yes I know he's just come off a 2 BB game), then he has to be moved out of the leadoff spot at some point. But where to?
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Post by costpet on May 6, 2016 12:03:01 GMT -5
I suppose you could have a lineup of:
Pety X Papi Hadley Shaw Mookie Jr. LF du Jour C du Jour
Looks solid to me. Papi loves hitting 3rd and it takes the pressure to get on base off Mookie.
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Post by huskies15 on May 6, 2016 12:19:18 GMT -5
Hanley's spray charts seem like a lefty pull hitters right now. He cannot pull a ball in the air at all this year.
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Post by okin15 on May 6, 2016 12:25:43 GMT -5
I suppose you could have a lineup of: Pety X Papi Hadley Shaw Mookie Jr. LF du Jour C du Jour Looks solid to me. Papi loves hitting 3rd and it takes the pressure to get on base off Mookie. Except Petey hates batting lead-off. I do like the idea of moving some guys around. I like either Mook or Xander in the lead-off spot, and I like either Pedroia or Betts hitting second. Love Papi third, with Pedroia or Ramirez fourth. Then you either go Shaw then Mook, or Dustin/Hanley then Shaw. Round it out with JBJ, C, and LF, swapping the last two when a LHP is on the mound.
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Post by larrycook on May 6, 2016 13:27:58 GMT -5
I am really amazed at how bad the Yankees starters we face this series have been thus far this year.
You have to think that at some point they are going to pitch to their potential.
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Post by gregblossersbelly on May 6, 2016 13:35:00 GMT -5
Kick em when they're down!
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Post by Oregon Norm on May 6, 2016 13:49:21 GMT -5
Not liking Hanley's inability to pull the ball on the air so far this season. Timing still looks like it's off even with the reduced leg kick. Would you pitch this guy on the inner part of the plate? Good pitchers such as Quintana might try it, but that's not for everybody. They've been targeting the outside because he can do bad things to stuff that's in the fat part of the inner half. But he has the range finder just about locked in after a month of seeing pitches, and plenty of power to the opposite field. He's always had that which is what makes him dangerous when he's in a groove. The opposition is going to have to find another way of doing business if he's going to pound that stuff. Let's see how he adjusts. Hanley's spray charts seem like a lefty pull hitters right now. He cannot pull a ball in the air at all this year. He's hit a couple of shots in Fenway that damn near took the green monster down. That's why he sees so much on the outer half and what the spray charts are about.
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Post by bosox89 on May 6, 2016 13:53:39 GMT -5
Jordan's Furniture has to be PO'd that the Yankees have already ruined their "Yanks/Sox ALCS and you get your money back" deal.
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Post by jimed14 on May 6, 2016 14:12:43 GMT -5
I kind of like the idea of hitting Hanley in front of Papi so he'd get a few better pitches to hit. Maybe put Mookie 5th and Xander leading off. Although Xander has scored from first on so many Papi doubles so maybe that's the idea.
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