With a 5-4 score, the win comes as the result of two errors by the Astros. Temporary shades of brilliance with the potential to move up with the hapless Miami team ahead. Then the hill gets a lot steeper with the Yankees on the horizon.
Good for the Red Sox fans in attendance on a nice 4th weekend.
The bloggers have turned positive in Boston, well, at least a bit more optimistic. I think they have an opportunity to capitalize on their "new found" playing ability with Miami in the next two days, but the Yankees series could be great with a sweep and a disaster with a sweep the other way. Unfortunately, they've dug themselves a very deep hole, which, IMO they cannot overcome.
After the AS break, the schedule isn't a piece of cake, August will be a challenge, and September finds them playing 24 of 27 games against AL East rivals, brutal !!
They are far from perfect for sure but it is still fun to watch.
Porcello will get one more shot before they put him on the DL and then send him to Pawtucket and bring up Jphnson, they might as well get him up so he will be ready for next year.
It is not IF Napoli is through with the Red Sox, it is just WHEN.
Swihart should go down to Pawtucket when he gets off the DL and learn 1st base.
We need to see what they have so they don't go out and sign more overpriced players this winter.
I have not given up on them this year but money has to be eaten and changes have to be made.
I don't care how many runners get left on base as long as enough score for them to win.
Five keys for Red Sox during key five game stretch From the Boston bloggers
BOSTON -- The recent surge of the Boston Red Sox could be an aberration. Or it could be the start of a charge about which we one day tell our grandkids.
Regardless of what the 12-7 stretch means in the long run, it has, at the very least, presented the club with an opportunity. With five more home games before the All-Star break -- as well as two days off -- the Sox have a chance to emerge from the break rested, as healthy as they've been all year, and within striking distance in both the division and the wild-card race. Given that, these two games against the Miami Marlins and three versus the New York Yankees are critical.
Here are the five most pressing items for the five most important games (so far) on the season:
Rick Porcello, who will take the mound on Wednesday, needs to snap out of an eight-game slump.. AP Photo/Jim Mone
1. Rick Porcello must step up
Manager John Farrell surprised some by announcing Sunday that Porcello would take his turn in the rotation Wednesday against Miami. With the off days Monday and Thursday, and the upcoming break, there was thought that the team might skip Porcello and give him some extended down time to overcome a slump.
Farrell's call is the right one. If you sit Porcello through one turn in the rotation and then target his next start later this month then the question marks will linger for two more weeks, which isn't good for anyone involved. While the entire season has been a struggle, Porcello has been significantly better at home. He will be facing a Marlins team that ranks 13th in the National League in scoring (and lacks slugger Giancarlo Stanton) and will be backed by an offense that is finding its groove.
If you wait, throw some side sessions and then target a start at Anaheim or Houston after the break, you pin Porcello against more dangerous lineups on the road, where his ERA sits at 7.16. He doesn't need to dominate the Marlins, but a step forward in an advantageous spot could give him -- and the team -- a little more momentum entering the second half.
2. Mike Napoli must, well, step up
Sunday was a dream scenario for all those tired of seeing Napoli flail at strike three. He was benched, giving way to David Ortiz at first base and moving Hanley Ramirez to the designated-hitter spot, where he has flourished. It also provided Farrell an opportunity to put Shane Victorino in right and Alejandro De Aza in left, surrounding Mookie Betts in a quality defensive outfield.
It was, as Farrell noted, "about putting the best lineup on the field today," and it worked well. But it cannot last. Ortiz is a capable first baseman for a few games, but the organization has no desire to put its slugger in that spot on a daily basis. His glove is not on par with Napoli’s, there is always the increased risk of injury for the lumbering 39-year-old, and he has not flourished offensively at that spot in the past several years.
Since 2007, Ortiz is 30-for-139 (.216) with 35 strikeouts as a first baseman. Ramirez will hit wherever he is and the squad will have to hope his defense in left field is adequate enough going forward.
"He's going to be our left fielder," Farrell said Sunday evening when asked if Ramirez could see more time at DH.
That leaves a lot on the shoulders of Napoli, who has five hits in his last 46 at-bats and one homer in a 29-game stretch. The hope is that three days off in a span of five (including Sunday, although he did come on a defensive replacement) has a positive impact.
3. De Aza and Victorino must stay active
The best feature of the Napoli/Ortiz/Ramirez shift on Sunday was the sight of De Aza, Betts and Victorino left to right in the outfield. The corner guys will platoon with Ramirez in left, but it’s on Farrell to get them both in the mix as often as possible. They bring similar qualities -- defense, some speed, energy, enthusiasm. Those are qualities the team lacked in its early-season struggles. One will always start, but Farrell should jump at every opportunity to get the other in as a late defensive replacement, pinch hitter or pinch runner. They can be difference-makers in those roles.
Ramirez certainly has his share of bumps and bruises and will need days off along the way. Betts leads the team in games played and might have the same need down the road.
4. Dustin Pedroia must hit the ground running
Pedroia is eligible to return from a hamstring strain prior to the weekend series with the division-leading Yankees. Farrell indicated he will know more about Pedroia's status during the series with Miami.
Since Pedroia left the lineup, the Sox are averaging a solid 5.1 runs in 11 games. That's up to 5.6 during the current 6-2 surge as Ramirez, Betts and Pablo Sandoval have carried the load. The addition of Pedroia, who is enjoying his best offensive season since 2011, will never upset the masses, but if he is slow to get going in the two-hole it could cause the train to slow down a bit.
Conversely, a hot Pedroia could take a suddenly clicking offense to another level.
"Our lineup is starting to deepen, even with Pedey being absent," Farrell said. "The top of our order is doing a nice job and now that we got [Ryan Hanigan] back in that spot, just quality at-bats up and down the lineup."
5. They must win the Yankees series
The rivals haven't met since the Bronx Bombers stormed into Fenway over two months ago and left with a three-game sweep, which began Boston's 10-19 showing in the month of May.
Returning the favor, or at least taking two of three, could go a long way toward condensing the AL East. The Sox entered Monday trailing the first-place Yankees by six games. It was a 10-game deficit (behind Tampa Bay at the time) just over two weeks ago. Similarly, they've shaved three games from their wild-card deficit in that short span, from eight games to five.
There's too much talk of the number of teams between Boston and those playoff spots. Sure, they have to leapfrog a handful of others, but eliminating a game or two off your deficits every couple of weeks for the next three months takes care of that climb. Three meetings with the Yanks before the All-Star break present such an opportunity.
My 2 cents...#1 Won't happen; #2 Won't happen; #3 Could help; #4 Doesn't he always?; #5 Not likely. Odd that the Walrus, HanRam and #34 get no mention.
For those who think LOBs and RISPs mean nothing...Bogaerts KEY hit in the 7th to score 3 runs is exactly what I've been talking about...finally a hit that saves the game. Had Bogaerts not hit that single, the RISP stat would look like 0-10. As it is, they still left 8 runners in RISP. Even more importantly, I guarantee there were fans leaving the park when it was 3-1 in the 7th. A big win against a lesser team that had their number till Bogaerts hit all but sealed the deal. First 3-run single for the team since 2008...a lot of things could have happened with a count of 3-2, but Betts got smokin' off first, which made the triple score. Good on them.
I predict Bogaerts goes to Cincy with Holt in the fans vote.
Stats are EVERYTHING in baseball and a lot of other things in the real world. That you would post such nonsense is clearly indicative of how self-absorbed you are with a gross lack of knowledge of the game.
Pls...when you see the lemon, don't read what's contained in the post. You can rest assured I will continue to post stats ad nauseam, both positive and negative. That you can't see, or post about the lackluster performance of the Red Sox, and add commentary (other than bring up the youngsters), is pathetic. Most of your posts are incredibly hypocritical and contradictory.
Sorry you are so stats related. Stats are boring! They are ok to use sometimes but not in every case. It is more fun to have a thread where everybody is routing for a team than one where everything has to go by what stat this one or that one has in their past. I like to think everybody is capable of doing better in their endeavors so will stick to positive threads from now on and you will not have to put up with me here anymore. Does that make you happy? This used to be an enjoyable thread to read but it is not any more. Goodbye everyone.
Sorry you are so stats related. Stats are boring! They are ok to use sometimes but not in every case. It is more fun to have a thread where everybody is routing for a team than one where everything has to go by what stat this one or that one has in their past. I like to think everybody is capable of doing better in their endeavors so will stick to positive threads from now on and you will not have to put up with me here anymore. Does that make you happy? This used to be an enjoyable thread to read but it is not any more. Goodbye everyone.
Stats are boring? Then why are they so prolific in baseball? Every pitch generates a comment by the broadcaster and analysis throughout the game is based on stats. Stats provide an picture of what did or didn't happen in a game...are we supposed to just look at the win/loss column, or try to see where the difficulties are and how the Red Sox management is trying to solve the issues.
So, in your world of Oz, we should all just rah, rah and be subjective, not objective, right? The Red Sox had been playing very poorly until their recent burst of oxygen, but you simply refuse to see that, oh NOOOO, not the great Boston Red Sox, the team I used to go see with my hard earned dollar from Norwood. Not the Boston Red Sox, just gotta love them, no questioning their play, their inept fielding and lack of power hits with RISPs. BS !!!!
Your posts are very hypocritical...do you forget all the rah, rah about Swihart? How he lived just down the street from you and you watched him play, blah, blah?? Weren't you gathering statistical information on him to give an evaluation of future performance? Same for Castillo and every other player you'd hope the Red Sox would get or trade.
Most of my recent posts have been EXACT copies from Gordon Edes, the ESPN blogger on the Red Sox team...he has more of a finger on the pulse of Fenway Park than anyone on this thread. He is objective and impartial...too bad he's been so negative and upset you so.
Go back and read some of your posts...the ones you didn't delete that is, like many earlier ones. You are a hypocrite and a cry baby, sore loser. The Red Sox are in disarray and I stick to my guns that the season is [T O A S T]. Idiots who don't know how many outs there are, stupid throwing errors, or falling asleep on the bases, lack of power hitting, lack of pitching...let's not forget the Walrus texting the hottie chick during a live game. And you want me to cheer for this collection of bozos??
Well, I for one will certainly miss your in-depth analysis of Prospects, current game wins/losses and your incredibly myopic, child-like attitude of leaving the boards. FWIW, others have trashed the Red Sox team as well, but you want to single me out...so, get a life, grow up and stop letting your entire life be consumed by the Red Sox. Actually, I'm sad to think my posts caused you to have such a hissy fit that you had to take your little ball and go home. Keep clinging to that remote, just another 7 hours till Red Sox/Yankees.
PS, it's "rooting for a team, not " routing"
Yup, I know you're gonna read this. As I've said several times before, when you see the lemon, don't read the post.
A much needed win yesterday at the Fens. Today is probably a bigger than big game...taking the series against the Yankees will do a ton to boost morale and keep the ship afloat. A loss today would be an unpleasant experience at best.
Still problems abound with this team. I harp and harp on the RISP stat, only because it's an indicator of the inability of this team to push the runs across the plate. Yesterday the team went 3-11...that means they left EIGHT runners on 2nd, 3rd or any combination of those bases. The Red Sox cannot win with this lack of production when production is at hand.
The Walrus went 0-4, as did the Napster...both 0-1 in the RISP department. The team has to look at the big AL East standings in left field, gotta be tough to see yourself at the bottom.
The AS break could not come at a better time for the team, but then they go to the LAA...can we say Mike Trout??? Better make a move while they are showing signs of a winning team, September will be BRUTAL...check it out.
So, today's my birthday...and hey, I got to watch the game. Was hoping they'd pull it out, but not to be.
For those who don't think RISPs are important, ponder this...the Red Sox went 4-15 in that department today. Left eleven runners on or between 2 and 3rd base.
So much talent, so little to show for it...back to 6.5 out in the AL East and locked for the cellar. The Walrus was his usual awful...De Aza and Holt the bright spots on the team.
I suspect when they hit LA next Friday, the hole will get deeper.
Very interesting mid season analysis by Gordon Edes at ESPN Boston blog. He grades and talks about almost every aspect of the team's players, including management. Lots of C grades, he gave Napoli an F...could be the Napster is gone in a couple of weeks...I have no clue. I think Mike Timlin is gassing up the bus and headed to the Fens.
Paul...I'd like to be proven wrong with all my negativity about the team this year, but I feel even stronger this morning.
Why on earth would you pitch to the best hitter in the game right now? Bingo, bango...a home run to crush, and I do mean CRUSH the Red Sox 1-0. If one run would win the game, what's the difference if it were two runs...assuming the next batter does well at the plate. Arguably Pujols is no piece of cake, but a lesser threat than Trout IMO. To me, the odds are better with ANY batter other than Trout. AND, as predicted by me before the All Star game..."can we say Mike Trout?".
The team is a team on paper only, there is no "cowboy up" attitude like the '04 and '07 series. You got the Walrus going 0-4 again. HanRam does his double play thing, and the ever present 0-5 in the RISP department, with an 0-7 stat for good measure. Victorino had 2 shots to drive in a run, Ortiz 1, Hanigan 1 and the Napster 1. You GOTTA score some runs against a team like this when you can...the Red Sox are unable to step up when the pressure is on.
Oh yeah...7.5 back in the AL East. Paul, it just ain't gonna happen. One thing I'm pretty sure of is that the Mike Timlin "You're Toast" bus is warming up. I suspect the Napster will get a seat near the driver, we'll know soon.
Hey, they're only stats, right? They're on MLB channel tonight, might catch a few innings.
18 innings, zero runs. At a team salary (excluding management), you are paying $1,029,446 PER GAME. Therefore, the performance so far in Anaheim has cost you $2,058,893.83. Great ROI John Henry, how much longer can you endure this debacle? Oh, wait, maybe Ortiz will whack another phone or perhaps a water cooler and things will get better. You'd be better off playing black or red at a roulette table in Vegas...or, in your case, Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun.
three straight losses after the break...heading for "seller" status at the deadline is my guess. So who ("established major leaguers" only) is untouchable other than Betts, Bogaerts, and Bueller, Bueller?
The Tigers, Padres and Mariners feel your pain....................mark
Walker Proof Digital Album Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
So, I take a little mini vacation to a nice casino on the gulf coast...come home last night and boom...the Red Sox are 0 forever. AND, they lost again last night, putting them ELEVEN games out of first place in the AL East. A glance at my favorite s-t-a-h-t-i-s-t-i-c of RISP...yup, they did it again, 2-10. Remember "Wonder Boy", who was touted as being the spark that was gonna fire up this team? Well, he couldn't drive in a run, and had a throwing error to boot. He needs to stay in Pawtucket or Lowell and learn how to play.
The following from Gordon Edes, tells it all. WARNING, full of stats, could ruin your day. The facts are indeed STUNNING. And the crap Ben Cherington is touting is laughable, you just gotta go to ESPN and read the Boston blog. This idiot thinks things are gonna be ok, and continues to have faith in the Walrus and HanRam...who's LF prowess has found him demoted to first base. Cherington and Farrell have become the joke of the Red Sox team...I just wonder how long before the principle owner, i.e. John Henry drops the hammer on them. I think the Timlin bus is being serviced near Fenway for a pickup in the next week or so. I'll be amazed if they do nothing...but then again, who wants looooooooozers?
Oh yeah, had a great time at the casino and picked up about $2k playing BJ.
Tale of the tape on this winless Red Sox trip: It's ugly
Gordon Edes, ESPN Staff Writer
HOUSTON -- The tale of the tape for the Boston Red Sox in the first six games after the All-Star break, which has extended their losing streak to seven -- matching their longest of the season -- and dropped them 11 games under .500 and 11 games behind the New York Yankees in the AL East, both season lows: ▪ The Sox have been outscored 34-9.
▪ The Sox have led once in six games. They have been ahead for two of 54 innings.
▪ The Sox are batting a collective .192 (37-for-193).
▪ The Sox have been outhomered 13-1. David Ortiz has the only Sox home run in that span.
▪ The Sox have more strikeouts (44) than hits (37). Their 14 K's in the first game of Monday's double-header was one shy of their season-high 15 against the Yankees on April 10. ▪ The Sox have not yet reached double figures in hits on this trip, their longest such streak since they went 10 games (April 29-May 10) without doing so. Just before the All-Star break, they reached double figures in hits six times in nine games, including 19 hits against the Blue Jays on July 2.
▪ The Sox, shut out in the first two games of this trip, have yet to score in consecutive innings.
▪ The Sox had 13 extra-base hits in one game, on June 21 in Kansas City. They have nine extra-base hits on this trip. Xander Bogaerts has two, both doubles. No other Red Sox player has more than one.
▪ The first two batters in Boston's order, Mookie Betts and Dustin Pedroia, are a combined 2-for-42. Betts, 1-for-20, sat Wednesday night. Pedroia snapped an 0-for-20 skid with an RBI double in the sixth inning Wednesday night.
▪ Hanley Ramirez is 2-for-21 with a team-high seven strikeouts since the All-Star break. With the tying runs in scoring position in the sixth inning Wednesday, he struck out on three pitches against Astros starter Collin McHugh.
▪ Bogaerts leads the Sox with three RBIs on this trip. He singled home a run Wednesday night and is batting .409 (9-for-22). No one else is batting higher than .286 (Shane Victorino and Mike Napoli, both 4-for-14).
▪ The Sox have not stolen a base on this trip, bunted a runner over or hit a sacrifice fly.
▪ The Sox's starting pitchers are 0-5 with a 7.31 ERA. In the first game since the break, Wade Miley went seven innings, walked the first batter in the eighth, and was lifted with a scoreless tie. Joe Kelly's 5¨÷ innings Wednesday was the longest start since. Take out Miley, and the Red Sox starters are 0-5 with a 9.70 ERA. Miley is scheduled to pitch the series finale Thursday.
Gee, I almost forgot my favorite S T A T I S T I C...RISP...well, they went 3-13. Imagine, they left 10...TEN runners on 2nd and or 3rd. TEN for God's sake !!! And lost by a run.
Can you imagine how quiet that ride was from Houston to Boston last night? I'll bet the boo-birds will be in high blower at Fenway tonight. Probably won't bother the Walrus or ManRam and others with insane $$$ coming in. What an absolute JOKE this team has become, totally worthless, inept, unprofessional and not worthy of calling themselves a Major League team. Swap the whole lot of them straight up for the Rhode Island guys.
Lost 8 in a row and now 12 back...Dandy Don, it is now official, da season is d-e-a-d. Timlin is gassing up the bus...methinks 4-5 or more are T O A S T, Napoli in the front seat.
Gee, where have all the Red Sox fans gone? Yeah, I get it, tough to post anything about such a hapless, inept, poor-performing bunch of loooooooozers!
Oh, remember when somebody posted about how GREAT Swihart was gonna be...the "spark" as I recall. You know, this guy watched him in High School and he lived just down the street from him...whatever that meant. Well, Sparky had not one, not two, not three, but FOUR passed balls last night. Wow, he sure is good, isn't he? I will say he did get a triple, but, so what? Isn't he being paid to do something well? Castillo also touted as the next new spark...where is he now??? Bueller? Bueller?
Bunches of "O-ffers", as in this pathetic offense could barely pony up anything.
Boy, oh boy, they're on ESPN tonight...I think I'll just go down to the Pavillion here with the wife and a bottle of wine to enjoy the sunset on the lake...probably more stimulating.
Need more??? They're TWELVE games our of first place. Five more days till Timlin loads the bus...I still think maybe 4-5 are gone...then again, who wants losers?
The ONLY highlight of today is Pedro going into the HOF.
You've pretty much chased them all away from this thread, LOL...
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
I didn't chase anybody away...they're in shock at such a dismal season. At least I point out some data to try and figure out where the problems are. Most of my posts are copies from ESPNBoston and Gordon Edes, who, BTW is 100% on point in his blogs.
I have been down on my team almost since day one...bonehead moves by Cherrington have encumbered the Red Sox for a ton of $$ and years to come. Lackluster performance and attention on the basepaths, not to mention the inability of batters to drive in key runs with RISPs. Forgetting how many outs in the game, texting in the dugout to hottie chicks...is that professional? They are being paid a FORTUNE to play, not act like junveniles who have not a clue.
Their last outing was the worst in 64 YEARS...and I drove them away. LAUGHABLE !!!
You, OTOH haven't contributed much other than an occasional snipe here and there. Typical of your style of posting.
Why don't you toss out some ideas contrary to mine as to how the Red Sox team can improve? So easy to hide behind your keyboard.
You keep posting day after day how pitiful the Red Sox are playing this season.
I'm not suggesting your assessment is incorrect but sooner or later, people get tired of the constant negativity, ad nauseam, especially if it's about the team you root for
That is JMO, but is illustrated by the fact that very few Sox fans, other than yourself, post in this thread anymore. Just look at the number of consecutive posts you have made recently with no one chiming in with more than a superficial line or two.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
A fair and thoughtful response, which I appreciated.
You can't just play ostrich and not see the obvious about the incredibly poor performance of this team. To not try to analyze or think about what is wrong, or post thoughts to offer "point-counter point" is just simply giving up, which is worse than posting fact...which in my case is mostly negative. Not one person has challenged or offered a counter idea to what I've posted, or quoted from ESPNBoston. Pitboss just said "screw this" and took his ball and went home...this after I repeatedly told him not to read my posts. Kinda childish I thought.
These players are being paid a fortune to perform...it is glaringly obvious to me that their hearts are not in the game, given events of passed games. I think Farrell has lost control of the ship and makes comments that make absolutely no sense. Pitching, the key to any game has been God-awful bad. Porcello has been an enormous bust with an ERA that is horrific. The team continues to limp along and is steadily going down hill.
So, I should post nothing? I'm trying to generate some comments...maybe everybody agrees with what I write, they just don't want to read it or admit it's all fact...I get that. But if you don't point out weaknesses, how on earth can you objectively look at the game. Pitboss...who "I drove away", claims "you can't rely on statistics because they are things that happened in the past"...REALLY? Baseball is all about statistics, my favorite being RISPs. The Red Sox do not get key hits when they have runners on 2nd or 3rd...recently they went 2-10, and then 3-13. How can you win with that stat?
The team is in total disarray, there is no question. It wouldn't make any difference if I stopped posting or not. I care about the Red Sox and, as you know, have been a fan almost forever...but, when these guys get paid a fortune to perform, and don't, I call them on it. I don't think batting .225 or a bit better is too much too ask. If I had been Farrell, I would have nailed the Walrus (3rd baseman) for $50k for his tweeting to the chick thing. AND, for forgetting there was only 2 outs...that would cost you $10k. Farrell is too soft, not a leader...the team is just going through the motions.
What I find really bizarre is how they jump up and down and go crazy when they win a walk-off like the other night against Detroit...like life is just a big bowl of cherries and they're on top of the world. Well, they have to stare at the left field wall and in huge numbers they can see they are in last place by a ton...like 12 games. Weird that they do such rah rah over walk offs, but not when they just win.
Anyway...I do appreciate your response. I'll chill for a few days and maybe let things cool down, maybe this will draw in some thoughtful posters.
Thanks, Al, I appreciate your response. Your passion for the Red Sox is obvious, and I don't disagree with your assessment of the team as a whole. Anyone who has read my posts in other threads also knows I am a believer in statistics, too, as you are, and that such metrics tell the true story behind a team's (or player's) success or failure.
I would say that most fans probably prefer to tune out when things are going very poorly for their team~it's human nature to get on the bandwagon when things are going well, and to find other diversions when things are not.
My initial post was a lighthearted one~sometimes fans would rather remember the good times than confront the pitiful prersent.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
1955 Topps, I admire your passion. Clearly you care, and there's something to be said for that under the somber circumstances. It's easy to exhaust finger energy when things are hunky-dory, but to consistently break things down when wheels are flying off in every direction? I for one like it, especially when substantive posts on this forum are now few and far between. At least you don't go all WTCG on us and actually provide analysis well beyond your team "sucking everywhere, all the time."
Allow me to chime in, but I must preface the following by saying that I'm completely indifferent where the Red Sox are concerned. My thoughts are as impartial as you'll get. In fact, I don't even have a fav MLB team; I just thoroughly enjoy the sport for all of its intricacies, and as such I attend a few random games each season.
With all of the aforementioned said, I saw Boston play Houston the other night at Minute Maid. If I had created a Pepsi challenge of sorts and asked a number of completely clueless Joe Blows which of the two teams is collectively paid ~38 cents on the dollar when compared to the other, I posit a situation where I probably could've fooled a slew of people. The Astros looked like an insatiably hungry bunch whose next meal was contingent on the outcome of the game. Conversely, when the floodgates opened and the Red Sox fell behind, you could've doused the entire dugout with gasoline, lit a match, and I'm still not sure there would have been a fire.
In a word, they looked apathetic. The overwhelming majority of high-fives, ass slaps and vociferous confidence boosts came from the Astros' neck of the woods, not theirs. To me, there's zero excuse for that. These guys are living a lucid dream every day of their professional lives. If it comes to the point where a manager is required to ask a player to care, then complacency is pervasive and that generally doesn't augur well. When new pieces comprise the whole, it's the GM's responsibility to ensure a synergistic effect. When that doesn't happen, people go. Whether it's Cherington, Farrell, and/or one or more of the players, I don't know. I haven't kept up with the Red Sox enough this season to know who the true culprits are. But as someone who saw one of their games at close range, it was apparent to me that something was clearly amiss.
My two, and please don't stop posting.
ETA & exampli gratia: I swear I saw Ortiz almost stop in the base path prior to the ball reaching the general vicinity of the first baseman's glove on a routine grounder. At a robust .233 clip, quite a precipitous fall from two years ago when the Cardinals literally could not get him out in the WS.
For one night, at least, and on national television, a mighty impressive showing!
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
Yup, I watched the game...a very impressive performance. Ortiz was a one-man wrecking crew with an astounding 7 RBIs. No doubt the Fenway Faithful got their money's worth last night, a much needed boost to slumping fans. Odd to see Loge seats go empty as were others...I'll bet those ticket holders wish they'd shown up. Not sure the value of Schilling etal broadcasting from the Monster seat area. Those are primo seats, in high demand, how could they really see the close plays or effectiveness of the pitcher's pitches a football field distance away??
Now...did everybody see the clip of Ortiz just chugging to first and then the pitcher dropped the ball? This is EXACTLY what I'm talking about with this team in general...not "in the game", lackadaisical and just going through the motions. Not that he would have been safe at first, perhaps so and not that his being or not being on first was key to the game, the fact is he mailed it in and did a "Manny being Manny" thing. He got booed and he deserved it.
Stats...as great as the game was, they still managed to go 7-15 and had eleven LOBs. Still 12 back in the AL East. They better enjoy their day off and relish the big win, 'cause the Rays and Yankees cometh.
Meant to add this on above, but the post doesn't show.
Anybody got any ideas why Nava hasn't played 1st base since forever? With the slumping Napoli, I would think Farrell would have put Nava in at least once in a while. Oh yeah...Nava now playing first base because Mr. Napolito got tossed for acting like a spoiled brat after his called 3rd strike. Way to go Mike, that's one way to help your teammates.
With the Pesky pole thing and Nava a lefty, I would think he might have helped the dismal RISP situation from time to time.
This from Shane Victorino b4 his exit from Fenway...
""What am I going to be remembered as in a city like this? I hope people remember me one way and understand injuries are not something that any athlete wants to face. I hope I'll be remembered for what happened in '13. We use that slogan that will always be a part of us: Boston Strong."
I don't know about the rest of the fan base, but I will remember Victorino's time in Boston solely for his season in 2013. He fired on all cylinders that year and it made a difference!
ALCS, game 6, 2013...bottom of the 7th inning...The Flynin' Hawaiian - Shane Victorino hits a grand slam to seal the deal against the Detroit Tigers. He will forever be remember for that one home run, if nothing more. I hope he makes it big with the Angels.
To honor him for his contribution to sports in Boston and that wonderful grand slam, I've changed my avatar and will leave it there for the rest of the season.
Rick Porcello's start was one for the ages ... the dark ages
The White Sox beat the Red Sox 9-2 for their seventh straight win. Gordon Edes, ESPN Staff Writer
BOSTON -- In three nights in Boston, the Chicago White Sox have hit 18 doubles, which is one more than David Ortiz has hit in 341 at-bats all season.
The White Sox hit seven doubles Monday night and seven more on Tuesday, matching in nine innings both nights what Hanley Ramirez has done in 90 games in 2015.
The White Sox have outscored the Boston Red Sox 11-2 just in the first innings of the past three games, and have scored eight runs or more each night, including Wednesday night's 9-2 win over Boston.
And on Thursday, the White Sox, with a chance to reach .500 for the first time since May 19, will send ace Chris Sale to the mound with a chance to extend a season-best winning streak to eight games.
The Red Sox, meanwhile, had their scheduled Thursday starter, Steven Wright, warming up in the bullpen in the second inning after Rick Porcello was knocked around for six runs on 10 hits.
Red Sox starter Rick Porcello allows six runs on 10 hits in just two innings of work on Wednesday. Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
Wright will still start, manager John Farrell said after Wednesday's loss, but the Red Sox will need at least one fresh arm, and possibly two, after four Red Sox relievers were required to generate 21 outs Wednesday night.
"We've been slapped in the face right from the git-go three consecutive nights," Farrell said, whose voice was even but whose expression revealed his irritation after the team's 12th loss in the past 14 games.
"The bottom line is we've got to do a better job of pitching. That's not focusing on the starters, that's focusing on everyone. Guys are capable of more and we need to do better." REALLY JOHN?? REALLY???
Oh, there's more...El Hombre GORDO...i.e. The Walrus, sometimes known as Pablo Sandoval is thrown out at home as he is unable to hustle his enormous body around the bases without having oxygen nearby. Looked like he was gonna have a heart attack in the dugout as he was huffing and puffing for air. AND, they take him out of the game in the second inning, calling it "dehydration"...the SECOND inning, this from a professional baseball player who is paid a king's ransom to play. Yo FATTO, spend more time in the weight room, less texting and less enjoying your pie hole!!! LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOZER.
Oh, yup, there's still more...Porcello rapidly approaches total disaster as he gives up 5 ERs in the first two innings. His ERA now at a disastrous 5.81. Off-the-chart bad!!! Hey Ben, these two acquisitions ain't workin' out too well.
You know my favorite was coming...the ever-telling RISP...well, they went 1-12. They left eleven, ELEVEN runners in scoring position. STUNNING.
Well, 14 out and nowhere to hide, as the Rays and Yankees are coming.
Too bad there isn't a way to trade Cherrington and Farrell. The Red Sox have almost the worst record in MLB, tied with the Brewers, only the Phillies are worse.
I hate to bring this up, but RISP can refer to one OR two runners in scoring position.
Therefore, if the Sox go 1-12 with RISP, that means they failed to record a hit while at least 11 men were on second or third base.
If they go 1-12 with multiple instances of men on second AND third, they've left a lot more than 11 men on base.
So pretty much, they suck.
I really look forward to watching the team do something about it. I would hope there would be some activity before the trading deadline other than DFA Daniel Nava. Wonder what heads (players and others) will roll now, before season's end, and during the offseason?
Comments
Good for the Red Sox fans in attendance on a nice 4th weekend.
After the AS break, the schedule isn't a piece of cake, August will be a challenge, and September finds them playing 24 of 27 games against AL East rivals, brutal !!
Porcello will get one more shot before they put him on the DL and then send him to Pawtucket and bring up Jphnson,
they might as well get him up so he will be ready for next year.
It is not IF Napoli is through with the Red Sox, it is just WHEN.
Swihart should go down to Pawtucket when he gets off the DL and learn 1st base.
We need to see what they have so they don't go out and sign more overpriced players this winter.
I have not given up on them this year but money has to be eaten and changes have to be made.
I don't care how many runners get left on base as long as enough score for them to win.
BOSTON -- The recent surge of the Boston Red Sox could be an aberration. Or it could be the start of a charge about which we one day tell our grandkids.
Regardless of what the 12-7 stretch means in the long run, it has, at the very least, presented the club with an opportunity. With five more home games before the All-Star break -- as well as two days off -- the Sox have a chance to emerge from the break rested, as healthy as they've been all year, and within striking distance in both the division and the wild-card race. Given that, these two games against the Miami Marlins and three versus the New York Yankees are critical.
Here are the five most pressing items for the five most important games (so far) on the season:
Rick Porcello, who will take the mound on Wednesday, needs to snap out of an eight-game slump.. AP Photo/Jim Mone
1. Rick Porcello must step up
Manager John Farrell surprised some by announcing Sunday that Porcello would take his turn in the rotation Wednesday against Miami. With the off days Monday and Thursday, and the upcoming break, there was thought that the team might skip Porcello and give him some extended down time to overcome a slump.
Farrell's call is the right one. If you sit Porcello through one turn in the rotation and then target his next start later this month then the question marks will linger for two more weeks, which isn't good for anyone involved. While the entire season has been a struggle, Porcello has been significantly better at home. He will be facing a Marlins team that ranks 13th in the National League in scoring (and lacks slugger Giancarlo Stanton) and will be backed by an offense that is finding its groove.
If you wait, throw some side sessions and then target a start at Anaheim or Houston after the break, you pin Porcello against more dangerous lineups on the road, where his ERA sits at 7.16. He doesn't need to dominate the Marlins, but a step forward in an advantageous spot could give him -- and the team -- a little more momentum entering the second half.
2. Mike Napoli must, well, step up
Sunday was a dream scenario for all those tired of seeing Napoli flail at strike three. He was benched, giving way to David Ortiz at first base and moving Hanley Ramirez to the designated-hitter spot, where he has flourished. It also provided Farrell an opportunity to put Shane Victorino in right and Alejandro De Aza in left, surrounding Mookie Betts in a quality defensive outfield.
It was, as Farrell noted, "about putting the best lineup on the field today," and it worked well. But it cannot last. Ortiz is a capable first baseman for a few games, but the organization has no desire to put its slugger in that spot on a daily basis. His glove is not on par with Napoli’s, there is always the increased risk of injury for the lumbering 39-year-old, and he has not flourished offensively at that spot in the past several years.
Since 2007, Ortiz is 30-for-139 (.216) with 35 strikeouts as a first baseman. Ramirez will hit wherever he is and the squad will have to hope his defense in left field is adequate enough going forward.
"He's going to be our left fielder," Farrell said Sunday evening when asked if Ramirez could see more time at DH.
That leaves a lot on the shoulders of Napoli, who has five hits in his last 46 at-bats and one homer in a 29-game stretch. The hope is that three days off in a span of five (including Sunday, although he did come on a defensive replacement) has a positive impact.
3. De Aza and Victorino must stay active
The best feature of the Napoli/Ortiz/Ramirez shift on Sunday was the sight of De Aza, Betts and Victorino left to right in the outfield. The corner guys will platoon with Ramirez in left, but it’s on Farrell to get them both in the mix as often as possible. They bring similar qualities -- defense, some speed, energy, enthusiasm. Those are qualities the team lacked in its early-season struggles. One will always start, but Farrell should jump at every opportunity to get the other in as a late defensive replacement, pinch hitter or pinch runner. They can be difference-makers in those roles.
Ramirez certainly has his share of bumps and bruises and will need days off along the way. Betts leads the team in games played and might have the same need down the road.
4. Dustin Pedroia must hit the ground running
Pedroia is eligible to return from a hamstring strain prior to the weekend series with the division-leading Yankees. Farrell indicated he will know more about Pedroia's status during the series with Miami.
Since Pedroia left the lineup, the Sox are averaging a solid 5.1 runs in 11 games. That's up to 5.6 during the current 6-2 surge as Ramirez, Betts and Pablo Sandoval have carried the load. The addition of Pedroia, who is enjoying his best offensive season since 2011, will never upset the masses, but if he is slow to get going in the two-hole it could cause the train to slow down a bit.
Conversely, a hot Pedroia could take a suddenly clicking offense to another level.
"Our lineup is starting to deepen, even with Pedey being absent," Farrell said. "The top of our order is doing a nice job and now that we got [Ryan Hanigan] back in that spot, just quality at-bats up and down the lineup."
5. They must win the Yankees series
The rivals haven't met since the Bronx Bombers stormed into Fenway over two months ago and left with a three-game sweep, which began Boston's 10-19 showing in the month of May.
Returning the favor, or at least taking two of three, could go a long way toward condensing the AL East. The Sox entered Monday trailing the first-place Yankees by six games. It was a 10-game deficit (behind Tampa Bay at the time) just over two weeks ago. Similarly, they've shaved three games from their wild-card deficit in that short span, from eight games to five.
There's too much talk of the number of teams between Boston and those playoff spots. Sure, they have to leapfrog a handful of others, but eliminating a game or two off your deficits every couple of weeks for the next three months takes care of that climb. Three meetings with the Yanks before the All-Star break present such an opportunity.
My 2 cents...#1 Won't happen; #2 Won't happen; #3 Could help; #4 Doesn't he always?; #5 Not likely. Odd that the Walrus, HanRam and #34 get no mention.
Congrats to Holt...you deserve it.
<< <i>called it! Holt to the AS squad. Good for him! >>
Agreed, you did call it!
Got to kick some NYY behind to have any second half momentum
I predict Bogaerts goes to Cincy with Holt in the fans vote.
Everyone needs to do this as it improves moral if Bogearts gets to the all star game.
Stats are what has HAPPENED IN THE PAST not necessarily what is going to happen in the future as these players improve.
Keep Napoli on the bench until he can improve and the stats WILL improve in the future.
If Porcello gets hit hard tonight it should be his last chance as a starter.
Johnson is itching to get to the majors.
Good game tonight. Napoli still glued to the pine and Porcello seemed to do well with a veteran catcher guiding him.
Pls...when you see the lemon, don't read what's contained in the post. You can rest assured I will continue to post stats ad nauseam, both positive and negative. That you can't see, or post about the lackluster performance of the Red Sox, and add commentary (other than bring up the youngsters), is pathetic. Most of your posts are incredibly hypocritical and contradictory.
Stats are boring? Then why are they so prolific in baseball? Every pitch generates a comment by the broadcaster and analysis throughout the game is based on stats. Stats provide an picture of what did or didn't happen in a game...are we supposed to just look at the win/loss column, or try to see where the difficulties are and how the Red Sox management is trying to solve the issues.
So, in your world of Oz, we should all just rah, rah and be subjective, not objective, right? The Red Sox had been playing very poorly until their recent burst of oxygen, but you simply refuse to see that, oh NOOOO, not the great Boston Red Sox, the team I used to go see with my hard earned dollar from Norwood. Not the Boston Red Sox, just gotta love them, no questioning their play, their inept fielding and lack of power hits with RISPs. BS !!!!
Your posts are very hypocritical...do you forget all the rah, rah about Swihart? How he lived just down the street from you and you watched him play, blah, blah?? Weren't you gathering statistical information on him to give an evaluation of future performance? Same for Castillo and every other player you'd hope the Red Sox would get or trade.
Most of my recent posts have been EXACT copies from Gordon Edes, the ESPN blogger on the Red Sox team...he has more of a finger on the pulse of Fenway Park than anyone on this thread. He is objective and impartial...too bad he's been so negative and upset you so.
Go back and read some of your posts...the ones you didn't delete that is, like many earlier ones. You are a hypocrite and a cry baby, sore loser. The Red Sox are in disarray and I stick to my guns that the season is [T O A S T]. Idiots who don't know how many outs there are, stupid throwing errors, or falling asleep on the bases, lack of power hitting, lack of pitching...let's not forget the Walrus texting the hottie chick during a live game. And you want me to cheer for this collection of bozos??
Well, I for one will certainly miss your in-depth analysis of Prospects, current game wins/losses and your incredibly myopic, child-like attitude of leaving the boards. FWIW, others have trashed the Red Sox team as well, but you want to single me out...so, get a life, grow up and stop letting your entire life be consumed by the Red Sox. Actually, I'm sad to think my posts caused you to have such a hissy fit that you had to take your little ball and go home. Keep clinging to that remote, just another 7 hours till Red Sox/Yankees.
PS, it's "rooting for a team, not " routing"
Yup, I know you're gonna read this. As I've said several times before, when you see the lemon, don't read the post.
Still problems abound with this team. I harp and harp on the RISP stat, only because it's an indicator of the inability of this team to push the runs across the plate. Yesterday the team went 3-11...that means they left EIGHT runners on 2nd, 3rd or any combination of those bases. The Red Sox cannot win with this lack of production when production is at hand.
The Walrus went 0-4, as did the Napster...both 0-1 in the RISP department. The team has to look at the big AL East standings in left field, gotta be tough to see yourself at the bottom.
The AS break could not come at a better time for the team, but then they go to the LAA...can we say Mike Trout??? Better make a move while they are showing signs of a winning team, September will be BRUTAL...check it out.
For those who don't think RISPs are important, ponder this...the Red Sox went 4-15 in that department today. Left eleven runners on or between 2 and 3rd base.
So much talent, so little to show for it...back to 6.5 out in the AL East and locked for the cellar. The Walrus was his usual awful...De Aza and Holt the bright spots on the team.
I suspect when they hit LA next Friday, the hole will get deeper.
So much talent, so little return.
Why on earth would you pitch to the best hitter in the game right now? Bingo, bango...a home run to crush, and I do mean CRUSH the Red Sox 1-0. If one run would win the game, what's the difference if it were two runs...assuming the next batter does well at the plate. Arguably Pujols is no piece of cake, but a lesser threat than Trout IMO. To me, the odds are better with ANY batter other than Trout. AND, as predicted by me before the All Star game..."can we say Mike Trout?".
The team is a team on paper only, there is no "cowboy up" attitude like the '04 and '07 series. You got the Walrus going 0-4 again. HanRam does his double play thing, and the ever present 0-5 in the RISP department, with an 0-7 stat for good measure. Victorino had 2 shots to drive in a run, Ortiz 1, Hanigan 1 and the Napster 1. You GOTTA score some runs against a team like this when you can...the Red Sox are unable to step up when the pressure is on.
Oh yeah...7.5 back in the AL East. Paul, it just ain't gonna happen. One thing I'm pretty sure of is that the Mike Timlin "You're Toast" bus is warming up. I suspect the Napster will get a seat near the driver, we'll know soon.
Hey, they're only stats, right?
Take care my friend.
Al
The Timlin bus cometh.
P A T H E T I C !!
Go Spinners!
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
The following from Gordon Edes, tells it all. WARNING, full of stats, could ruin your day. The facts are indeed STUNNING. And the crap Ben Cherington is touting is laughable, you just gotta go to ESPN and read the Boston blog. This idiot thinks things are gonna be ok, and continues to have faith in the Walrus and HanRam...who's LF prowess has found him demoted to first base. Cherington and Farrell have become the joke of the Red Sox team...I just wonder how long before the principle owner, i.e. John Henry drops the hammer on them. I think the Timlin bus is being serviced near Fenway for a pickup in the next week or so. I'll be amazed if they do nothing...but then again, who wants looooooooozers?
Oh yeah, had a great time at the casino and picked up about $2k playing BJ.
Tale of the tape on this winless Red Sox trip: It's ugly
Gordon Edes, ESPN Staff Writer
HOUSTON -- The tale of the tape for the Boston Red Sox in the first six games after the All-Star break, which has extended their losing streak to seven -- matching their longest of the season -- and dropped them 11 games under .500 and 11 games behind the New York Yankees in the AL East, both season lows:
▪
The Sox have been outscored 34-9.
▪
The Sox have led once in six games. They have been ahead for two of 54 innings.
▪
The Sox are batting a collective .192 (37-for-193).
▪
The Sox have been outhomered 13-1. David Ortiz has the only Sox home run in that span.
▪
The Sox have more strikeouts (44) than hits (37). Their 14 K's in the first game of Monday's double-header was one shy of their season-high 15 against the Yankees on April 10.
▪
The Sox have not yet reached double figures in hits on this trip, their longest such streak since they went 10 games (April 29-May 10) without doing so. Just before the All-Star break, they reached double figures in hits six times in nine games, including 19 hits against the Blue Jays on July 2.
▪
The Sox, shut out in the first two games of this trip, have yet to score in consecutive innings.
▪
The Sox had 13 extra-base hits in one game, on June 21 in Kansas City. They have nine extra-base hits on this trip. Xander Bogaerts has two, both doubles. No other Red Sox player has more than one.
▪
The first two batters in Boston's order, Mookie Betts and Dustin Pedroia, are a combined 2-for-42. Betts, 1-for-20, sat Wednesday night. Pedroia snapped an 0-for-20 skid with an RBI double in the sixth inning Wednesday night.
▪
Hanley Ramirez is 2-for-21 with a team-high seven strikeouts since the All-Star break. With the tying runs in scoring position in the sixth inning Wednesday, he struck out on three pitches against Astros starter Collin McHugh.
▪
Bogaerts leads the Sox with three RBIs on this trip. He singled home a run Wednesday night and is batting .409 (9-for-22). No one else is batting higher than .286 (Shane Victorino and Mike Napoli, both 4-for-14).
▪
The Sox have not stolen a base on this trip, bunted a runner over
or hit a sacrifice fly.
▪
The Sox's starting pitchers are 0-5 with a 7.31 ERA. In the first game since the break, Wade Miley went seven innings, walked the first batter in the eighth, and was lifted with a scoreless tie. Joe Kelly's 5¨÷ innings Wednesday was the longest start since. Take out Miley, and the Red Sox starters are 0-5 with a 9.70 ERA. Miley is scheduled to pitch the series finale Thursday.
Chance favors the prepared mind Louis Pasteur
WOW !!!!!
Can you imagine how quiet that ride was from Houston to Boston last night? I'll bet the boo-birds will be in high blower at Fenway tonight. Probably won't bother the Walrus or ManRam and others with insane $$$ coming in. What an absolute JOKE this team has become, totally worthless, inept, unprofessional and not worthy of calling themselves a Major League team. Swap the whole lot of them straight up for the Rhode Island guys.
Lost 8 in a row and now 12 back...Dandy Don, it is now official, da season is d-e-a-d. Timlin is gassing up the bus...methinks 4-5 or more are T O A S T, Napoli in the front seat.
Oh, remember when somebody posted about how GREAT Swihart was gonna be...the "spark" as I recall. You know, this guy watched him in High School and he lived just down the street from him...whatever that meant. Well, Sparky had not one, not two, not three, but FOUR passed balls last night. Wow, he sure is good, isn't he? I will say he did get a triple, but, so what? Isn't he being paid to do something well? Castillo also touted as the next new spark...where is he now??? Bueller? Bueller?
Bunches of "O-ffers", as in this pathetic offense could barely pony up anything.
Boy, oh boy, they're on ESPN tonight...I think I'll just go down to the Pavillion here with the wife and a bottle of wine to enjoy the sunset on the lake...probably more stimulating.
Need more??? They're TWELVE games our of first place. Five more days till Timlin loads the bus...I still think maybe 4-5 are gone...then again, who wants losers?
The ONLY highlight of today is Pedro going into the HOF.
Oh yeah...go Red Sox
You've pretty much chased them all away from this thread, LOL...
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
I have been down on my team almost since day one...bonehead moves by Cherrington have encumbered the Red Sox for a ton of $$ and years to come. Lackluster performance and attention on the basepaths, not to mention the inability of batters to drive in key runs with RISPs. Forgetting how many outs in the game, texting in the dugout to hottie chicks...is that professional? They are being paid a FORTUNE to play, not act like junveniles who have not a clue.
Their last outing was the worst in 64 YEARS...and I drove them away. LAUGHABLE !!!
You, OTOH haven't contributed much other than an occasional snipe here and there. Typical of your style of posting.
Why don't you toss out some ideas contrary to mine as to how the Red Sox team can improve? So easy to hide behind your keyboard.
I'm not suggesting your assessment is incorrect but sooner or later, people get tired of the constant negativity, ad nauseam, especially if it's about the team you root for
That is JMO, but is illustrated by the fact that very few Sox fans, other than yourself, post in this thread anymore. Just look at the number of consecutive posts you have made recently with no one chiming in with more than a superficial line or two.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
You can't just play ostrich and not see the obvious about the incredibly poor performance of this team. To not try to analyze or think about what is wrong, or post thoughts to offer "point-counter point" is just simply giving up, which is worse than posting fact...which in my case is mostly negative. Not one person has challenged or offered a counter idea to what I've posted, or quoted from ESPNBoston. Pitboss just said "screw this" and took his ball and went home...this after I repeatedly told him not to read my posts. Kinda childish I thought.
These players are being paid a fortune to perform...it is glaringly obvious to me that their hearts are not in the game, given events of passed games. I think Farrell has lost control of the ship and makes comments that make absolutely no sense. Pitching, the key to any game has been God-awful bad. Porcello has been an enormous bust with an ERA that is horrific. The team continues to limp along and is steadily going down hill.
So, I should post nothing? I'm trying to generate some comments...maybe everybody agrees with what I write, they just don't want to read it or admit it's all fact...I get that. But if you don't point out weaknesses, how on earth can you objectively look at the game. Pitboss...who "I drove away", claims "you can't rely on statistics because they are things that happened in the past"...REALLY? Baseball is all about statistics, my favorite being RISPs. The Red Sox do not get key hits when they have runners on 2nd or 3rd...recently they went 2-10, and then 3-13. How can you win with that stat?
The team is in total disarray, there is no question. It wouldn't make any difference if I stopped posting or not. I care about the Red Sox and, as you know, have been a fan almost forever...but, when these guys get paid a fortune to perform, and don't, I call them on it. I don't think batting .225 or a bit better is too much too ask. If I had been Farrell, I would have nailed the Walrus (3rd baseman) for $50k for his tweeting to the chick thing. AND, for forgetting there was only 2 outs...that would cost you $10k. Farrell is too soft, not a leader...the team is just going through the motions.
What I find really bizarre is how they jump up and down and go crazy when they win a walk-off like the other night against Detroit...like life is just a big bowl of cherries and they're on top of the world. Well, they have to stare at the left field wall and in huge numbers they can see they are in last place by a ton...like 12 games. Weird that they do such rah rah over walk offs, but not when they just win.
Anyway...I do appreciate your response. I'll chill for a few days and maybe let things cool down, maybe this will draw in some thoughtful posters.
I would say that most fans probably prefer to tune out when things are going very poorly for their team~it's human nature to get on the bandwagon when things are going well, and to find other diversions when things are not.
My initial post was a lighthearted one~sometimes fans would rather remember the good times than confront the pitiful prersent.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
Allow me to chime in, but I must preface the following by saying that I'm completely indifferent where the Red Sox are concerned. My thoughts are as impartial as you'll get. In fact, I don't even have a fav MLB team; I just thoroughly enjoy the sport for all of its intricacies, and as such I attend a few random games each season.
With all of the aforementioned said, I saw Boston play Houston the other night at Minute Maid. If I had created a Pepsi challenge of sorts and asked a number of completely clueless Joe Blows which of the two teams is collectively paid ~38 cents on the dollar when compared to the other, I posit a situation where I probably could've fooled a slew of people. The Astros looked like an insatiably hungry bunch whose next meal was contingent on the outcome of the game. Conversely, when the floodgates opened and the Red Sox fell behind, you could've doused the entire dugout with gasoline, lit a match, and I'm still not sure there would have been a fire.
In a word, they looked apathetic. The overwhelming majority of high-fives, ass slaps and vociferous confidence boosts came from the Astros' neck of the woods, not theirs. To me, there's zero excuse for that. These guys are living a lucid dream every day of their professional lives. If it comes to the point where a manager is required to ask a player to care, then complacency is pervasive and that generally doesn't augur well. When new pieces comprise the whole, it's the GM's responsibility to ensure a synergistic effect. When that doesn't happen, people go. Whether it's Cherington, Farrell, and/or one or more of the players, I don't know. I haven't kept up with the Red Sox enough this season to know who the true culprits are. But as someone who saw one of their games at close range, it was apparent to me that something was clearly amiss.
My two, and please don't stop posting.
ETA & exampli gratia: I swear I saw Ortiz almost stop in the base path prior to the ball reaching the general vicinity of the first baseman's glove on a routine grounder. At a robust .233 clip, quite a precipitous fall from two years ago when the Cardinals literally could not get him out in the WS.
you'll never be able to outrun a bad diet
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
<< <i>For one night, at least, and on national television, a mighty impressive showing! >>
it was fun to watch. I sure hope the Sox lock up their shortstop with a long term deal. Same with CF!
Now...did everybody see the clip of Ortiz just chugging to first and then the pitcher dropped the ball? This is EXACTLY what I'm talking about with this team in general...not "in the game", lackadaisical and just going through the motions. Not that he would have been safe at first, perhaps so and not that his being or not being on first was key to the game, the fact is he mailed it in and did a "Manny being Manny" thing. He got booed and he deserved it.
Stats...as great as the game was, they still managed to go 7-15 and had eleven LOBs. Still 12 back in the AL East. They better enjoy their day off and relish the big win, 'cause the Rays and Yankees cometh.
Mr. Hawaii, Shane Victorino is the first on the Timlin bus. Thanks for what you did Shane...wish it could have been so much better. Aloha !!!
Anybody got any ideas why Nava hasn't played 1st base since forever? With the slumping Napoli, I would think Farrell would have put Nava in at least once in a while. Oh yeah...Nava now playing first base because Mr. Napolito got tossed for acting like a spoiled brat after his called 3rd strike. Way to go Mike, that's one way to help your teammates.
With the Pesky pole thing and Nava a lefty, I would think he might have helped the dismal RISP situation from time to time.
This from Shane Victorino b4 his exit from Fenway...
""What am I going to be remembered as in a city like this? I hope people remember me one way and understand injuries are not something that any athlete wants to face. I hope I'll be remembered for what happened in '13. We use that slogan that will always be a part of us: Boston Strong."
To honor him for his contribution to sports in Boston and that wonderful grand slam, I've changed my avatar and will leave it there for the rest of the season.
The White Sox beat the Red Sox 9-2 for their seventh straight win.
Gordon Edes, ESPN Staff Writer
BOSTON -- In three nights in Boston, the Chicago White Sox have hit 18 doubles, which is one more than David Ortiz has hit in 341 at-bats all season.
The White Sox hit seven doubles Monday night and seven more on Tuesday, matching in nine innings both nights what Hanley Ramirez has done in 90 games in 2015.
The White Sox have outscored the Boston Red Sox 11-2 just in the first innings of the past three games, and have scored eight runs or more each night, including Wednesday night's 9-2 win over Boston.
And on Thursday, the White Sox, with a chance to reach .500 for the first time since May 19, will send ace Chris Sale to the mound with a chance to extend a season-best winning streak to eight games.
The Red Sox, meanwhile, had their scheduled Thursday starter, Steven Wright, warming up in the bullpen in the second inning after Rick Porcello was knocked around for six runs on 10 hits.
Red Sox starter Rick Porcello allows six runs on 10 hits in just two innings of work on Wednesday. Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
Wright will still start, manager John Farrell said after Wednesday's loss, but the Red Sox will need at least one fresh arm, and possibly two, after four Red Sox relievers were required to generate 21 outs Wednesday night.
"We've been slapped in the face right from the git-go three consecutive nights," Farrell said, whose voice was even but whose expression revealed his irritation after the team's 12th loss in the past 14 games.
"The bottom line is we've got to do a better job of pitching. That's not focusing on the starters, that's focusing on everyone. Guys are capable of more and we need to do better." REALLY JOHN?? REALLY???
Oh, there's more...El Hombre GORDO...i.e. The Walrus, sometimes known as Pablo Sandoval is thrown out at home as he is unable to hustle his enormous body around the bases without having oxygen nearby. Looked like he was gonna have a heart attack in the dugout as he was huffing and puffing for air. AND, they take him out of the game in the second inning, calling it "dehydration"...the SECOND inning, this from a professional baseball player who is paid a king's ransom to play. Yo FATTO, spend more time in the weight room, less texting and less enjoying your pie hole!!! LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOZER.
Oh, yup, there's still more...Porcello rapidly approaches total disaster as he gives up 5 ERs in the first two innings. His ERA now at a disastrous 5.81. Off-the-chart bad!!! Hey Ben, these two acquisitions ain't workin' out too well.
You know my favorite was coming...the ever-telling RISP...well, they went 1-12. They left eleven, ELEVEN runners in scoring position. STUNNING.
Well, 14 out and nowhere to hide, as the Rays and Yankees are coming.
Too bad there isn't a way to trade Cherrington and Farrell. The Red Sox have almost the worst record in MLB, tied with the Brewers, only the Phillies are worse.
Therefore, if the Sox go 1-12 with RISP, that means they failed to record a hit while at least 11 men were on second or third base.
If they go 1-12 with multiple instances of men on second AND third, they've left a lot more than 11 men on base.
So pretty much, they suck.
I really look forward to watching the team do something about it. I would hope there would be some activity before the trading deadline other than DFA Daniel Nava. Wonder what heads (players and others) will roll now, before season's end, and during the offseason?