GAME #152, BOSTON RED SOX AT BALTIMORE ORIOLES

Started by Bear, September 20, 2017, 04:02:42 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

Bear

RED SOX V O'S

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2017, 7 PM AT ORIOLE PARK

TV:  NESN, ESPN, (OUT-OF-MARKET ONLY), MASN, ESPN
[/center[/b]

BOSTON, (87-64)......................................................................................BALTIMORE, (73-79)

BOSTON:

CHRIS SALE, LHP, 16-7, 2.86 ERA, 287 K

Sales pitches caught too much of the plate against the Rays, resulting in
two homers and four runs against the lefty in 5 2/3 innings.  He still struck out
nine pitchers.  Four more whiffs will tie him for the second most in a season by
the Sox pitcher.

BALTIMORE:

WADE MILEY, LHP, 8-13, 5.32 ERA, 132 K

The lefty is coming off a career-low one-outing on Thursday night against
the Yankees.  Miley gave up six earned runs over 19 pitches.

Sale can help punch Red Sox's playoff ticket

Brittany Ghiroli

Red Sox ace Chris Sale will look to get back on track in Wednesday's series finale in Baltimore and possibly punch Boston's ticket to the postseason.

The Red Sox hold a three-game lead over the Yankees in the American League East, but Boston can clinch a playoff spot Wednesday with a win over the Orioles and an Angels loss to the Indians.

Sale is 2-3 with a 4.64 ERA in his last six starts, a stark difference from his first 24 starts in which the lefty went 14-4 with a 2.51 ERA. Sale is a key cog in this Red Sox team's playoff hopes, and all eyes will be on him at Camden Yards for the 7:05 p.m. ET start.

Between his first 21 starts (2.37 ERA) and his past nine since the beginning of August (4.25 ERA), Sale actually has gotten more ground balls, and his opponents' rate of hard contact (95+ mph) has dropped from 30.4 percent to 28.8 percent, according to Statcast. Unfortunately for the lefty, his batting average allowed of .240 over those nine outings is well above his expected average of .190, a number based on the quality of contact made against him, plus his actual strikeouts.

Manager John Farrell has said several times the Sox can't focus on the postseason yet. They have to win as many games as possible to stay ahead of New York. The Orioles, who are 5-13 this month, have had their playoff hopes diminished.

The O's will counter with lefty Wade Miley, who is coming off a career-low one-out outing on Thursday night against the Yankees. Miley gave up six earned runs over 19 pitches. While the Orioles thought about putting him in the bullpen in between starts, they opted not to and he should be well-rested to face Boston's lineup.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THIS GAME

• The Red Sox are hopeful second baseman Dustin Pedroia can start Wednesday night after hitting a foul ball off his face on Monday and suffering a nasal contusion.

• Red Sox designated hitter Hanley Ramirez is expected to start for the first time since last Wednesday due to a right biceps injury and ongoing discomfort in both of his shoulders that he's dealt with all season.

• With 287 K's, Sale is five strikeouts shy of moving into second place all-time for single-season strikeouts by a Red Sox pitcher.

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170920255042486/sale-can-help-punch-red-soxs-playoff-ticket/?game_pk=492364

Red Sox @ O’s G3

Bogaerts SS
Pedroia 2B
Benintendi LF
Betts RF
Ramirez DH
Travis 1B
Marrero 3B
Leon C
Bradley Jr CF

Sale LHP.

Rob from Mass


longgame

Quote from: Rob from Mass on September 20, 2017, 07:49:55 AM
Will we see the real Sale tonight?

Equally importantly, will Wade Miley look like the second coming of Cy Young to this lineup?

Bill-806

Don't want to let those YANK$ hang around much longer.....  As DAD would say, "SON, let a team hang around long enough & bad things happen" !!!! thumb_d rofl

Rob from Mass

#4
Quote from: longgame on September 20, 2017, 07:59:15 AM
Quote from: Rob from Mass on September 20, 2017, 07:49:55 AM
Will we see the real Sale tonight?


Equally importantly, will Wade Miley look like the second coming of Cy Young to this lineup?
Yeah this poor hitting team has done that way to often this year.

BoSoxFanNY

The Twins did not help us at all.
Today, Yankees beat the Twins 11-3.
They swept the Twins.

The Twins were winning for several minutes
3 - 0, then the Yankees struck.

Let's GO Sox!
Just keep winning!!

HOPE that we get the 16 game winner Sale tonight.

ipot

Quote from: BoSoxFanNY on September 20, 2017, 03:48:08 PM
The Twins did not help us at all.
Today, Yankees beat the Twins 11-3.
They swept the Twins.

The Twins were winning for several minutes
3 - 0, then the Yankees struck.

Let's GO Sox!
Just keep winning!!

HOPE that we get the 16 game winner Sale tonight.

The Twins will never beat the Yankees when it matters.   But, for us, the question was raised above: will Miley shut us down like Gausman did?  Sale, at this point, is a toss up.  Even if he goes 7 inns and gives up 3-4 runs we still should be able to pounce on Miley - even with 2/3rds of our lineup hitting like their vacationing in Double A.
"Baseball is simple. All you do is sit on your butt, spit tobacco and nod at the stupid things your manager says."
--Bill 'Spaceman' Lee

Schloicka

Another way to get a dp. Golden chance missed. Not much Leon could do about it.


Schloicka

Marrero with a 2 run HR after a Hanley double. 4-0 Sox.

markj

Sox offense showing a bit of power, although this is (or was) Miley they're facing. Sale is cruising. So far, so good.

markj

Hanley with another double drives in two more runs. Very nice. thumb_u

Schloicka

Pedroia hits into a dp the conventional way this time. 6-4-3. He's 0-18 on this road trip now.

longgame

Nice to see an early lead and Sale cruising.  Much easier to enjoy. 

Also 20 straight scoreless innings vs. Baltimore.

I am happy to be wrong about Baltimore being a house of horrors.

ipot

This has worked out like the script so far.  So rare to see.   Let's just get this one in the books and lower the magic number.....
"Baseball is simple. All you do is sit on your butt, spit tobacco and nod at the stupid things your manager says."
--Bill 'Spaceman' Lee