GAME #95, TUESDAY, JULY 16, 2019, TORONTO BLUE JAYS @ BOSTON RED SOX

[SeaBeachFred]

Sox tie it up at 4.

Well I'm going to judge that butt Cora and I do it with glee as well as rage.  Once again he pulls a hot hitting Brock Holt from the game and pinch hits for him with two on and two out.  What happens.  Thd guy strikes out leaving two men on base while Brock sits in the dugout w ith his 336 batting average and being the hottest hitter in the league the last 20 or so games.  You did it again Cora, you rotten stupid stubborn bastard.

[elktonnick]

Sox tie it up at 4.

Well I'm going to judge that butt Cora and I do it with glee as well as rage.  Once again he pulls a hot hitting Brock Holt from the game and pinch hits for him with two on and two out.  What happens.  Thd guy strikes out leaving two men on base while Brock sits in the dugout w ith his 336 batting average and being the hottest hitter in the league the last 20 or so games.  You did it again Cora, you rotten stupid stubborn bastard.

Like you my head exploded when Manager Neuman pinch hit for Holt.  Manager What me Worry over managed the game horribly last night.  Pinch hitting for Holt meant he reshuffled the infield.  Sam Travis now  playing first misplayed a foul ball.  Travis isn't as good a defensive first baseman as is Chavis.  Then Manager Neuman pinch hit Hernandez for Travis.  Manager Neuman it seems has two overarching managerial philosophies, one don't let anyone get comfortable playing any infield position, second I am in charge and I will make changes just to prove to you that I am.

[Bill-806]

With a heavy HEART, one word describes last night …….  "PA/THET/IC"  !!!  But, today is another day in RED SOX LAND !!!!! iono iono iono iono

[longgame]

I have no problem with pinch hitting and putting in a righty to face a lefty.  The problem was the pitching once again.

[elktonnick]

Normally I would have no trouble pinch hitting a righty for a lefty but I do have a problem pinch hitting a minor league call up hitting .188 for a red hot seasoned veteran hitting .330

[Murph]

Darwinzon Hernandez’s relief outing a silver lining in Boston Red Sox’s 10-4 loss to Toronto

Boston Red Sox's Darwinzon Hernandez pitches during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays in Boston, Tuesday, July 16, 2019. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)


By Alexandra Francisco | afranci3@masslive.com

BOSTON -- The eighth-inning pitching performance was a silver lining in the Boston Red Sox’s 10-4 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night, as newly recalled reliever Darwinzon Hernandez did exactly what he was called up for.

After being called back up from Triple-A Pawtucket before the second game of the series, the lefty struck out two batters, walked one and kept Boston’s deficit at just two runs to help poise them for a comeback. He threw 24 pitches to four batters, 16 of which were strikes.

The comeback didn’t happen, as Boston’s bullpen eventually gave up four final-inning runs to open things up for Toronto, but manager Alex Cora was impressed with the outing.

“It was good,” Cora said of Hernandez’s relief.

“(He) threw some sliders, good fastball, it’s a spot there where we have to keep the game at two runs because we feel we can score runs.”

Hernandez faced catcher Danny Jensen first in the middle of Toronto’s order, striking him out swinging with five pitches on a 3-1 count. Jensen took a hack at the fifth pitch, an 83.5 MPH slider, that was blocked by Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez and thrown to first.

Hernandez then walked Justin Smoak, but recorded two strikes during the plate appearance with a slider and a 95.4 MPH four-seam fastball.

From there, Hernandez forced a lineout to right on a 2-2 count to Freddy Galvis before retiring the side. He missed the zone with a four-seamer on his first pitch to Teoscar Hernandez, but threw the same pitch three more times -- with increased velocity for every one -- to end the inning with a strikeout.

“Some good fastballs up in the zone, the slider was good in the beginning,” Cora said. “He walked Smoak but then made some pitches against Teoscar so it was a good day for him.”

This was not Hernandez’s first time called up to the majors, but prior to the game, Cora said he could see the pitcher sticking around in Boston longer than he has in the past.

“I can see it. That’s why we made the switch a few days ago. We feel like his stuff will play (in the majors),” Cora said pregame.

"Even when he makes a mistake with his fastball in the zone it plays. We saw flashes of that in his start against Texas. That first inning was electric, so now it’s not about going six or seven, it’s about getting that guy out. We’ll take it step by step. Just get this guy out and if he does, get the next one and the next one. We’ll see how he takes it.

“But stuff-wise, we feel like he’ll be fine. It’s just a matter of getting him out and putting him in a spot to be successful.”







A typical report of bandwagon hopping. When he gets bombed next time out he will be getting "send him back to AAA" quotes.

[Sea Dog 23]

The Darwinzon article might be the sum total of the Sox and their central problem.  Darwinzon, as limited as he is, may be the only home grown pitcher in the Sox system downstream, and affordable with club control.  DD gambled on Sale and Nathan going forward, but their best days are history many admit.  Price is getting older and cannot eat innings. 

The fix?  One avenue is trade the overpaid and stagnant pieces now, while they have some value, for young talented pitchers and position players to rebuild our sysrem (for a 2021 run).  Delaying the inevitable for less returns in the offseason may work if we get a wildcard, but that calls for three good pitchers to survive the playoffs.  Do we have three pitchers now on staff.

[SeaBeachFred]

I have no problem with pinch hitting and putting in a righty to face a lefty.  The problem was the pitching once again.

Sorry Ted but I have a big problem  over what Alfred E. did last night.....AGAIN!!!!!!  For the fifth time in the past nine or ten days our idiot manager pinched hit for Brock Holt on the alleged assumption that Holt can't hit lefties even though he is now hitting a solid 336 and has been the hottest hitter in the league the last 20-25 games.  T he result was the same.  The pinch hitter failed miserably.  Cora has become a stubborn bastard with his attitude that he will do whatever he wants and, believe it or not is starting to grease his skids for his eventual departure from Boston.  He managed last night as poorly as one could manage and it is part and parcel with his mishandling of the team since the start of ST.  Give Holt a chance to hit against lefties and let's see how he does.  I will bet he will hit better than Nunez did those four times he went in for him, and certainly better than the last night's failure, Sam Travis, who, BTW, blew an easy foul ball pop up that did us no good.

[SeaBeachFred]

The Darwinzon article might be the sum total of the Sox and their central problem.  Darwinzon, as limited as he is, may be the only home grown pitcher in the Sox system downstream, and affordable with club control.  DD gambled on Sale and Nathan going forward, but their best days are history many admit.  Price is getting older and cannot eat innings. 

The fix?  One avenue is trade the overpaid and stagnant pieces now, while they have some value, for young talented pitchers and position players to rebuild our sysrem (for a 2021 run).  Delaying the inevitable for less returns in the offseason may work if we get a wildcard, but that calls for three good pitchers to survive the playoffs.  Do we have three pitchers now on staff.

Not right now we don't.....and much of that is tied to our pitching coach who has done little to improve the mechanics of our staff.  He needs to go and the sooner the better---and maybe take Cora with him.