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10/5 - AL Wild Card Game: Red Sox vs. Yankees
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Post by jkfer98 on Oct 6, 2021 10:52:03 GMT -5
Was at Fenway last night. The crowd was absolutely electric, and in my opinion played a role (even if it was a small role!) in getting Cole out of that game in the 3rd inning. I thought the crowds in the 2018 postseason were pretty lame and was worried we were going to see more of the same last night so I was pleasantly surprised. The majority of the crowd stood the entire game.
Cora managed last night like he did the entire 2018 postseason, with the mindset that you're better taking a guy out a batter early than a batter late. I think it's time I stop questioning what he does in these big games because clearly he knows what he's doing (in real time I wanted Eovaldi to stay in and for Houck to get the 8th).
We played a perfect game. No major defensive flubs, no walks, hit well, drew walks. Ride the wave into the Trop.
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Post by incandenza on Oct 6, 2021 10:53:31 GMT -5
Still basking in last night. I was glad to be wrong on this year's Red Sox team. I picked them to win 79, not much different from most national prognosticators who aren't Red Sox fans. But instead they won 92 games. Not the first time I was wrong picking the games. In 2019 I picked the Sox to earn a playoff spot with 95 wins and they came in at just 84 wins. I liked being wrong this time better. I thought that the Red Sox would lose yesterday's game based on the way they've played the past two months compared to the Yankees and the Yankees' pitching edge they've had all season. I was scratching my head when I saw the Yankees lineup yesterday. It looked thinner than at any time I've seen it since July. No Lemahieu and no Sanchez made that lineup paper thin. I think they had 3 Mendoza line hitters in that lineup. But the Sox needed to bring their A game, the game they haven't had enough of in a long time, the opposite of what they've done against the Yankees the past six times out when they beat themselves, and at the best time possible they brought their A game. The Sox staff that doles out walks like candy at Halloween didn't issue a single walk. Even Robles came in firing strike after strike. Whitlock was Koji-like in his efficiency throwing just 8 pitches. That is called setting the tone. The Red Sox batters, seemingly forever chasing bad pitches, were patient and grinded out atbats in a way the 2004 team would have been proud of. Besides the homers by Xander and Schwarber, the situational hitting of Verdugo last night was impressive. I could do without his kamikaze baserunning, but he was clutch last night, first getting a response run in the last of the 6th and then the clutch 2 out dagger in the 7th. The defense, which too many times this season has been sloppy, was instead rock solid and the relay in the 6th was perfect and totally deflated the Yankees. And the most delicious part was at the end when Garrett Whitlock snuffing out the season of his former team. Thanks for the gift Cashman. The Red Sox played a perfect game last night. When they play sloppy like they have the past couple of months it brings out concerns and doubts and criticism, but when they play the way they did yesterday, they deserve nothing but compliments. That win last night validates the season. Yes, playing better than expected is nice, but if you lose to that awful team the season feels disappointing, but beating that team and eliminating them....well, that makes the season a smashing success regardless of what happens going forward. They could get swept by the Rays and it wouldn't change this season from being a huge success. The Rays will be favored to win and they should be favored to win. Doesn't mean the Sox can't win. If they play 11 more perfect, crisp, and clean games like they did last night, they could win a World Series that way. The only regret I have now is that my cable company did away with MLB network and YES network. I'd have loved to have seen the post-game show on YES to see the Yankee autopsy. And I'd like to see the Michael Kay show today. That really lays it out nicely: starter, bullpen, defense, offense, approach - they just played a complete game like they rarely have in the second half of the season.
What should it tell us about them that they were able to find this gear the second they hit the playoffs, in an elimination game against the Yankees? They truly do not need to beat the Rays to make me happy, but I am suddenly more optimistic about the possibility.
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Post by incandenza on Oct 6, 2021 10:55:53 GMT -5
Can be interesting reading the quotes after teams get bounced from the playoffs. I find this one by Boone very funny. "The league has closed the gap on us." What gap does he mean? Is he really that delusional that the yankees who haven't won since 2009 were the class of the AL all along? There was no gap, why he's acting as if they're the dodgers cracks me up. This quote got a lot of play last night and rightfully so. Since winning it all in 2009, look at how they have fared: 2010: Won ALDS, Lost in ALCS 2011: Lost ALDS 2012: Won ALDS, Lost in ALCS 2013: Missed playoffs 2014: Missed playoffs 2015: Lost Wild Card Game 2016: Missed playoffs 2017: Won ALDS, Lost in ALCS 2018: Lost ALDS 2019: Won ALDS, Lost in ALCS 2020: Lost ALDS 2021: Lost Wild Card Game So in the 12 years since winning it all, they haven’t been to the World Series once, they have missed the playoffs 3 times and have won a total of 4 postseason series. I’d say the “gap” was narrowed long ago. It blew my mind when someone pointed out they haven't won a 7-game playoff series 2009.
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Oct 6, 2021 10:56:17 GMT -5
One other note - did anybody notice Gleyber Torres made the last out again? He was the final out of the 2018 ALDS on that Nunez/Pearce bang-bang play at 1b and yesterday he was the final out of the 2021 Wild Card on that flyout to Renfroe. Kind of strange that the same guy made the last out in two separate post-seasons that got the Yankees eliminated?
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Post by taiwansox on Oct 6, 2021 10:57:16 GMT -5
I really expected that Jays team to be a legit threat THIS year. And now they have Ray(probable Cy Young winner) and Semien(top-10 for MVP) both as free agents. I doubt they can keep them both...and it might be hard to keep even one of them. Countervailing factors: on the one hand, their run differential says they were much better than their record this year, and they had to deal with that whole playing in minor league ballparks scattered around the eastern US situation (they sure seemed to turn it on when they got back to Toronto).
On the other hand, they got a ton of value out of Ray and Semien, and even if they do keep them both it's pretty unlikely they're that good again. Ryu also may be slowing down. If some of their young pitching pans out next season they could be really great; but if not I can see a path back to another 90-win season or so.
Really good point, and we know how difficult developing young pitching is. The Blue Jays are really the Padres of the AL. Really elite young position players, strong pitching prospects, but definite question marks around developing that pitching at the big league level
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Post by ematz1423 on Oct 6, 2021 11:02:47 GMT -5
Can be interesting reading the quotes after teams get bounced from the playoffs. I find this one by Boone very funny. "The league has closed the gap on us." What gap does he mean? Is he really that delusional that the yankees who haven't won since 2009 were the class of the AL all along? There was no gap, why he's acting as if they're the dodgers cracks me up. This quote got a lot of play last night and rightfully so. Since winning it all in 2009, look at how they have fared: 2010: Won ALDS, Lost in ALCS 2011: Lost ALDS 2012: Won ALDS, Lost in ALCS 2013: Missed playoffs 2014: Missed playoffs 2015: Lost Wild Card Game 2016: Missed playoffs 2017: Won ALDS, Lost in ALCS 2018: Lost ALDS 2019: Won ALDS, Lost in ALCS 2020: Lost ALDS 2021: Lost Wild Card Game So in the 12 years since winning it all, they haven’t been to the World Series once, they have missed the playoffs 3 times and have won a total of 4 postseason series. I’d say the “gap” was narrowed long ago. Haha that's exactly what I was thinking but was too lazy to put it in such detail as you did so I appreciate the effort. There was a gap in the mid 90s when they were winning titles so maybe he was delusionally alluding to that? But that gap closed 20+ years ago so who knows what he actually meant.
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Post by benzinger on Oct 6, 2021 11:05:15 GMT -5
Countervailing factors: on the one hand, their run differential says they were much better than their record this year, and they had to deal with that whole playing in minor league ballparks scattered around the eastern US situation (they sure seemed to turn it on when they got back to Toronto).
On the other hand, they got a ton of value out of Ray and Semien, and even if they do keep them both it's pretty unlikely they're that good again. Ryu also may be slowing down. If some of their young pitching pans out next season they could be really great; but if not I can see a path back to another 90-win season or so.
Really good point, and we know how difficult developing young pitching is. The Blue Jays are really the Padres of the AL. Really elite young position players, strong pitching prospects, but definite question marks around developing that pitching at the big league level Good comparison. Both teams are absolutely loaded with talent...and missed the playoffs. Somehow the Padres finished below .500! Inexcusable.
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Post by incandenza on Oct 6, 2021 11:05:21 GMT -5
Haha, Cora threw some shade after the game when someone asked him what he was thinking during Stanton's first-inning "Stantonian home run" wall-ball single: "Ehh, he hit it off the end. He hit it off the end. We were glad he stood in the batter's box and it was just a single."
I really, I just... I just love that man.
(But he should also talk to Renfroe about the standing in the batter's box thing.)
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Post by manfred on Oct 6, 2021 11:06:12 GMT -5
I was bearish on the season, but I am bullish on the playoffs. This team strikes me as better designed for short seasons than long… you contract the staff, hope for some streaking from the lineup, and hope in small samples the defensive liabilities aren’t exposed… they can win this.
I am taking Sox over Rays in 6.
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Post by fenwaydouble on Oct 6, 2021 11:09:03 GMT -5
I was bearish on the season, but I am bullish on the playoffs. This team strikes me as better designed for short seasons than long… you contract the staff, hope for some streaking from the lineup, and hope in small samples the defensive liabilities aren’t exposed… they can win this. I am taking Sox over Rays in 6. I love the optimism, Manfred, but let's not wait until the non-existent 6th game to wrap it up, okay?
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Post by scottysmalls on Oct 6, 2021 11:13:50 GMT -5
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Post by manfred on Oct 6, 2021 11:19:50 GMT -5
I was bearish on the season, but I am bullish on the playoffs. This team strikes me as better designed for short seasons than long… you contract the staff, hope for some streaking from the lineup, and hope in small samples the defensive liabilities aren’t exposed… they can win this. I am taking Sox over Rays in 6. I love the optimism, Manfred, but let's not wait until the non-existent 6th game to wrap it up, okay? Right. 4 then. Was already looking ahead to next round!
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Post by julyanmorley on Oct 6, 2021 11:21:00 GMT -5
Ray, Matz and Semien are all free agents. That's 13.3 2021 WAR they paid $30 million for. Replacing those guys with market price free agents is a full ten win drop off.
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Post by scottysmalls on Oct 6, 2021 11:21:35 GMT -5
Also want to say, that like others, fairly or unfairly I was surprised by the Red Sox performance last night. Not necessarily that they won, but how they won. I tend to be more optimistic than most, and I thought they'd be good this year and they played essentially to my expectations, but yesterday looked different.
Most of the season they were free swinging (3rd in MLB in O-swing%), and it worked fine, but I loved seeing them patiently grind at-bats last night, on the mound they were below average at limiting walks all year, but pounded the zone yesterday. Hope they keep that approach against the Rays.
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Post by maxwellsdemon on Oct 6, 2021 11:22:29 GMT -5
Not sure it was fair of Boone to imply the rest of the division has backed up to the MFY.
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Post by ematz1423 on Oct 6, 2021 11:39:00 GMT -5
Not sure it was fair of Boone to imply the rest of the division has backed up to the MFY. Not to sound like a broken record but yea I find it borderline delusional for him to say the rest of the league caught up to the yankees as if they've been some juggernaut of a team. They haven't won jack crap since 2009. Why he's acting like they're the dodgers is beyond me.
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Post by Oregon Norm on Oct 6, 2021 11:41:53 GMT -5
Not sure it was fair of Boone to imply the rest of the division has backed up to the MFY. To paraphrase Richard Fariña: he's been down so long it looks like up to him.
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Post by vokuhila on Oct 6, 2021 11:43:25 GMT -5
Even MFY fans are irked/puzzled by that comment.
There is a lot of overinterpreting going on...
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Post by soxfansince67 on Oct 6, 2021 11:46:00 GMT -5
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Post by Oregon Norm on Oct 6, 2021 11:49:53 GMT -5
Here’s the thing—if you spend any real amount of time on these forums, it becomes fairly obvious who the bad posters with bad takes are. It isn’t exactly rocket science. As we’ve already seen in this thread, mocking them and rubbing it in their face (especially in a bad natured way) isn’t going to change their mind. It’s like making fun of the kid who comes in last in the race—even if well deserved because that kid was being an annoying braggart, it’s still a little distasteful. I think that this is quite an insulting post for a moderator, particularly if you are looking to expand those who participate. These are game reaction threads - comments are often made in the heat of the moment. Do you really want to start a high school type atmosphere and name call - bad takes, bad posters? Yes, there are a range of styles, ages and experiences here. If you want this to be a welcoming forum instead of an exclusive club, these types of takes should really be reconsidered. I don't see it that way. While I understand posters getting it all out there in the heat of the moment, the afterglow is what brings the discussions down, at least for me. The game done, there are bad takes that draw those mocking comments. That gets us into a back and forth that takes up space and detracts from what are invariably the many useful comments that help me understand what I've passed over or didn't see because I wasn't watching. Those jabs don't do much for the thread.
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Post by DesignatedForAssignment on Oct 6, 2021 12:01:04 GMT -5
ALDS Rotation?
TH EROD FR SALE X SUN EVO MON PIV X WED all
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Post by saltalamacchia4mvp on Oct 6, 2021 12:06:55 GMT -5
I feel like Eddy is going to step up big time given he can make himself millions and millions with a great postseason.
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Post by incandenza on Oct 6, 2021 12:13:25 GMT -5
Huh. Fangraphs has the Red Sox with the best odds of winning the AL pennant, and the second most likely to win the World Series. Not sure I really buy that... their algorithms seem way too down on the Rays' chances, giving us a 60% chance of winning the LDS. But kind of interesting.
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Post by Don Caballero on Oct 6, 2021 12:15:22 GMT -5
Not sure it was fair of Boone to imply the rest of the division has backed up to the MFY. "Don't fire me please" kind of quote. It is coming Boone, fighting it only makes it more embarrassing.
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Oct 6, 2021 12:18:20 GMT -5
Ray, Matz and Semien are all free agents. That's 13.3 2021 WAR they paid $30 million for. Replacing those guys with market price free agents is a full ten win drop off. I read somewhere (can't remember where) that if the Sox spend big it would only be on one free agent, Marcus Semien. We'll see if it comes to fruition.
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