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Red Sox vs. Dodgers 2018 World Series Gameday Thread
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Post by rjp313jr on Oct 25, 2018 7:39:16 GMT -5
So I can confirm the WS crowd last night was way better than the crowd for game 1 of the ALCS. Not even close. The first “beat LA” chant last night was the loudest fan chant I’ve ever heard and I’ve been to almost all the home playoff games since 2003.
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Post by rjp313jr on Oct 25, 2018 7:40:30 GMT -5
One thing on the crowds tho, the “Yankees suck” chants need to die when the Yankees aren’t even playing. It’s gotten to the point where most of the crowd won’t even participate so that’s good at least
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Post by Guidas on Oct 25, 2018 7:42:27 GMT -5
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Post by rjp313jr on Oct 25, 2018 7:44:12 GMT -5
I was sitting out in left field last night and after the Sox put up the 3 spot and Price came out to shut them down, the body language of the Dodgers players completely changed. Their warmup throws and grounders were being made by guys with slumped shoulders and heads drooped. They were defeated.
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Post by jimed14 on Oct 25, 2018 7:44:55 GMT -5
Is it really a downgrade though? Would you have thought that before Eovaldi's two great starts against NYY and HOU, two teams that hit LHP better than RHP? Going into the playoffs, Eovaldi and E-Rod were on pretty equal footing. Without digging too deep, the Dodgers are different than our AL foes and hit RHP better than LHP this year. Putting E-Rod in the starter position and gaining a bullpen arm as good as Eovaldi's seems to make a fair amount of sense. On a sidenote -- thats something that has bothered me about the 'why didn't we add a bullpen arm?' critique. When you add an arm like Eovaldi to the rotation, you know you are either getting his arm in the postseason bullpen or another starter's arm pushed to the bullpen (E-Rod and/or a Steven Wright). As a guy that really wanted a bullpen arm you have a point, but its not like we haven't relied on Kelly, Hembree, Workman, and Erod. They got Eovaldi because they didn't know what was up with Wright and ERod. Its worked out, everyone basically got hot all at the sametime and ERod got healthy. We didn't have any major injuries. Heck though even now your taking a guy that has arguably been your best starter and using him in relief. I get it, it makes sense. Almost must wins games at home because no DH on the road and the lefty thing, but man o man could it back fire also. It just look like a magical run, Cora can't do any wrong. Which is awesome, but man did we get lucky. The bullpen was crap down the stretch and was seen as our biggest weakness. It almost feels like a poker guy going all in needing runner runner for a flush. Then he gets it and start bad mouthing the other player. Everything has gone right, but this is way more luck than DD grand plan. Yeah, and that's how bullpens are. Remember how superior the Yankees and Astros bullpens were to ours as the Red Sox destroyed them?
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Post by jimed14 on Oct 25, 2018 7:46:10 GMT -5
I wish I could somehow show the Sox' actual postseason bullpen usage to this board 3 months ago as proof that actually, no, the outcome of this season was not going to turn on Heath Hembree's performance after all. I mean, what Cora has been doing in the postseason by using his starters in the 8th inning has been unprecedented. No other manager has done this before. So this was entirely unpredictable. He's lucky that the Sox haven't gone to extra innings or the Sox haven't needed Hembree for much of anything this postseason. Cora has basically ambushed the opponent early and often by using this starter to the bullpen strategy and it has worked. The Sox haven't blown a lead once doing this. They had a bunch of chances to blow it with Kimbrel on the mound, but it didn't happen. The Sox had only one albatross start where they needed to pull their starters before the 4th inning too. This start was one of their 2 losses so far in the postseason. Good fortune is the word you should use when describing the Sox avoiding Hembree in October this year. Remember when the Sox were using Curtis Leskanic in 2004 a BUNCH of times in important spots and games? Yeah, me too. I literally predicted it. And yeah, this did happen last year.
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Post by philsbosoxfan on Oct 25, 2018 7:48:08 GMT -5
One thing on the crowds tho, the “Yankees suck” chants need to die when the Yankees aren’t even playing. It’s gotten to the point where most of the crowd won’t even participate so that’s good at least I believe it's directed at ARod.
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Post by jimed14 on Oct 25, 2018 7:50:12 GMT -5
Wow, no wonder he was awful.
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Post by greatscottcooper on Oct 25, 2018 7:52:51 GMT -5
I remember being at a concert a few years back in Mansfield Mass. and a massive "yankees suck" chant broke out. Why? just....WHY?
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Post by gregblossersbelly on Oct 25, 2018 8:00:12 GMT -5
This is basically the Karma run! Every single player called out has come up big. All of a sudden, I'm envisioning seven shut-out innings in a surprise game four start by Drew Pomeranz... That might be end of this board if that happens:) What would all of the posters smarter than Dombroski do?
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Post by philsbosoxfan on Oct 25, 2018 8:00:53 GMT -5
I remember being at a concert a few years back in Mansfield Mass. and a massive "yankees suck" chant broke out. Why? just....WHY? A classic. In one of the live James Taylor albums, someone in the crowd yelled "Go Yankees". JT immediately replied with "yeah, the Yankees suck".
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Post by soxjim on Oct 25, 2018 8:00:57 GMT -5
Is it really a downgrade though? Would you have thought that before Eovaldi's two great starts against NYY and HOU, two teams that hit LHP better than RHP? Going into the playoffs, Eovaldi and E-Rod were on pretty equal footing. Without digging too deep, the Dodgers are different than our AL foes and hit RHP better than LHP this year. Putting E-Rod in the starter position and gaining a bullpen arm as good as Eovaldi's seems to make a fair amount of sense. On a sidenote -- thats something that has bothered me about the 'why didn't we add a bullpen arm?' critique. When you add an arm like Eovaldi to the rotation, you know you are either getting his arm in the postseason bullpen or another starter's arm pushed to the bullpen (E-Rod and/or a Steven Wright). As a guy that really wanted a bullpen arm you have a point, but its not like we haven't relied on Kelly, Hembree, Workman, and Erod. They got Eovaldi because they didn't know what was up with Wright and ERod. Its worked out, everyone basically got hot all at the sametime and ERod got healthy. We didn't have any major injuries. Heck though even now your taking a guy that has arguably been your best starter and using him in relief. I get it, it makes sense. Almost must wins games at home because no DH on the road and the lefty thing, but man o man could it back fire also. It just look like a magical run, Cora can't do any wrong. Which is awesome, but man did we get lucky. The bullpen was crap down the stretch and was seen as our biggest weakness. It almost feels like a poker guy going all in needing runner runner for a flush. Then he gets it and start bad mouthing the other player. Everything has gone right, but this is way more luck than DD grand plan.I think it was an option for DD. They were expecting all the starters back. Using your starters in the bullpen is okay, and the Sox haven't even used ERod much and Wright was hurt. So imo he probably knew he had enough. I think ofc he tried but starters can pitch from the bullpen. I agree luck involved but all the championships had luck and we can "what if . . ." anything. If Kelly didn't pitch as well, then SOx would have tried ERod more. And maybe Hembree and Workman pitch to one batter or two instead of more etc.
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Post by philsbosoxfan on Oct 25, 2018 8:02:32 GMT -5
Compare and contrast:
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Post by incandenza on Oct 25, 2018 8:06:05 GMT -5
One thing on the crowds tho, the “Yankees suck” chants need to die when the Yankees aren’t even playing. It’s gotten to the point where most of the crowd won’t even participate so that’s good at least Yeah, that's a little embarrassing. If I was a Yankees fan I'd feel pretty smug about how Sox fans couldn't even enjoy being in the World Series without it involving some resentment toward my team.
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Post by soxjim on Oct 25, 2018 8:07:19 GMT -5
I wish I could somehow show the Sox' actual postseason bullpen usage to this board 3 months ago as proof that actually, no, the outcome of this season was not going to turn on Heath Hembree's performance after all. I mean, what Cora has been doing in the postseason by using his starters in the 8th inning has been unprecedented. No other manager has done this before. So this was entirely unpredictable. He's lucky that the Sox haven't gone to extra innings or the Sox haven't needed Hembree for much of anything this postseason. Cora has basically ambushed the opponent early and often by using this starter to the bullpen strategy and it has worked. The Sox haven't blown a lead once doing this. They had a bunch of chances to blow it with Kimbrel on the mound, but it didn't happen. The Sox had only one albatross start where they needed to pull their starters before the 4th inning too. This start was one of their 2 losses so far in the postseason. Good fortune is the word you should use when describing the Sox avoiding Hembree in October this year. Remember when the Sox were using Curtis Leskanic in 2004 a BUNCH of times in important spots and games? Yeah, me too. You're splitting hairs. Houston used their starters aggressively. Cora is using his aggressively. The sox/Farell used Lackey from the bullpen. DOes it matter last year that Farell also used Sale in game 4 vs Houston?
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Post by philsbosoxfan on Oct 25, 2018 8:11:39 GMT -5
Fantastic, a challenge to the LA Philharmonic from The Boston Symphony.
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Post by philsbosoxfan on Oct 25, 2018 8:36:02 GMT -5
One thing on the crowds tho, the “Yankees suck” chants need to die when the Yankees aren’t even playing. It’s gotten to the point where most of the crowd won’t even participate so that’s good at least Yeah, that's a little embarrassing. If I was a Yankees fan I'd feel pretty smug about how Sox fans couldn't even enjoy being in the World Series without it involving some resentment toward my team. Did you catch the Jimmy Kimmel (or whatever) segment when they asked Yankee fans to congratulate the Red Sox for going to the World Series ? That sword cuts both ways.
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Post by Guidas on Oct 25, 2018 8:38:09 GMT -5
Wow, no wonder he was awful. If he really is open to such adjustments then I would be all for keeping him.
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Post by rjp313jr on Oct 25, 2018 8:38:15 GMT -5
I wish I could somehow show the Sox' actual postseason bullpen usage to this board 3 months ago as proof that actually, no, the outcome of this season was not going to turn on Heath Hembree's performance after all. You’re being cute with your choice of pitchers here, using just Hembree. A lot of the discussion around Hembree was if he’d be on the post reason roster or not. At the time of the pickup, a lot of people felt that Eovaldi was an either or pick up and most felt it leaned more towards the bullpen for October. People were right about the fact that Barnes was not an 8th inning option in the high pressure situations that come worth the Post season. He’s pitch great, but Cora is using him perfectly. As early in the game as possible which is where he thrives and they are key spots. The keys to things have been Kelly’s turn around and Braiser stepping up. Braiser was such an unknown, that predicting him was actually a bit easier in some ways. Kelly, if anyone predicted this then they are just getting lucky right now. I don’t know if he’s really changed something that will carry over long term or if this is just one of his hit streaks. Either way, fixing him in the days between the regular season and playoffs or catching his hot streak is luck, not some stroke of genius. But what they get credit for is not doing something to just do it and hope for the best. Pretty much every team that’s ever won needs guys to step up theirs games to new levels and so far that’s happened. 2 more baby, let’s get er done.
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Post by rjp313jr on Oct 25, 2018 8:43:13 GMT -5
I didn’t read back after the game last night so forgive me here, but David Price having his balls drop was huge last night. Getting out of that 4th only giving up 2 runs (Puigs single was great pitching just bad luck) then giving 2 more innings was huge. Staying away from Braiser was big time last night. Two reasons:
1. The more a team sees the relievers the harder it is for the reliever later in the series (was happy to see Baez for this reason last night)
2. I feel he’s skated by, especially the last outing, he needs some rest and his luck may be running low. He’s a guy I’m watching closely and despite the results, I’m more comfortable with Kimbrel, Kelly, a starter and Barnes (as long as its not late) than him right now. At least as far as last nights game was concerned. The 2 days off will be huge for him.
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Post by rjp313jr on Oct 25, 2018 8:44:52 GMT -5
Steve Hewitt steve_hewitt 2h2 hours ago Alex Cora says Rick Porcello will start Game 3 in Los Angeles. He’s unsure if Nathan Eovaldi will start Game 4. Said he could pitch again in Game 3 if they have a chance to go up 3-0. I’m more than ok with this. Play to win not to lose. If you have a lead that’s 4 runs or less in LA come the 8th inning go with Eovaldi and start Pomeranz game 4.
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Post by philsbosoxfan on Oct 25, 2018 8:47:33 GMT -5
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Post by fenwaythehardway on Oct 25, 2018 9:04:52 GMT -5
Wow, no wonder he was awful. If he really is open to such adjustments then I would be all for keeping him. This is sort of a sunk costs thing but after all the time the Red Sox have spent getting Kelly sorted out, it would be so frustrating to let him go right as he blossoms as a reliever. It would be like Andrew Miller all over again, if Andrew Miller had been on the team for seven hundred years (didn’t check but that feels like an accurate estimate of how much time has passed since the Lackey trade).
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dd
Veteran
Posts: 979
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Post by dd on Oct 25, 2018 9:15:21 GMT -5
I've watched that Joe Kelly changeup video about 20 times now and am just amazed at how much that ball moves inside. It actually looks like a screwball. It looks like it starts breaking severely about halfway to the plate. I think the camera moves to create the illusion of an actual break. But his change has often been his second-best pitch. I'm resisting the temptation to look up the average break amd compare it to others ... Thanks, Eric. I wondered about that too. It didn't seem right.
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Post by patford on Oct 25, 2018 9:22:02 GMT -5
One thing on the crowds tho, the “Yankees suck” chants need to die when the Yankees aren’t even playing. It’s gotten to the point where most of the crowd won’t even participate so that’s good at least I don't agree. It's actually better when the Yankees aren't playing.
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