ALDS GAME #4 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2018, BOSTON RED SOX AT NY YANKEES

[ipot]

Cora's been moving the parts around for the past 2 games and it has worked amazingly well. Yesterday, he inserted Holt, Vaz, Devers and they came through.  Today, he goes back to Nunez, who had a superb game defensively, and Kinsler who delivered an RBI.  And he stuck with Vaz who hit the HR.

[SeaBeachFred]

Kimbrel sucks. This win notwithstanding, he sucks. Useless under pressure. Package him with Price and send them to some bottom feeder team.

I was pissed off at Kimbrel too mark but let's be honest.  If we let Kimbrel walk who closes for us????  Meatball?  Jerkman?  Kelly?  No, we need Craig.  He never should have been summoned in the ninth anyway.  Sale would have had an easy inning and when you have your ace, a Yankee killer BTW, a three run lead is money in the bank.  Cora screwed up badly and overmanaged.  I was cursing him to death that inning and my heart was in my mouth.

[SeaBeachFred]

Sox just beat the Yanks for the ALDS in Yankee Stadium and I'm sitting here still burning mad. No excuse for such a shoddy performance. None. Kimbrel gets paid way too much to be that incompetent. I mean, walking in a run in a game this important?

markj, I was burning mad and ready to kill someone until that last out.  Then I was grateful, very grateful and on cloud nine to have beaten the Yankees in this playoff.  It is always heaven when we beat that team---any time.  Now we can relax for a few days.

[BoSoxFanNY]

Sox just beat the Yanks for the ALDS in Yankee Stadium and I'm sitting here still burning mad. No excuse for such a shoddy performance. None. Kimbrel gets paid way too much to be that incompetent. I mean, walking in a run in a game this important?

markj, I was burning mad and ready to kill someone until that last out.  Then I was grateful, very grateful and on cloud nine to have beaten the Yankees in this playoff.  It is always heaven when we beat that team---any time.  Now we can relax for a few days.

I couldn't watch when the bases were loaded - one out in the bottom of the 9th inning.
I was shaking, my heart was beating hard - and, just relieved that they actually won.

WILL BE EXHILARATED by this win soon -
YAHOOOOOO - we BEAT the Yankees IN Yankee Stadium
in 4 games!

WOW!

(And I still want to shake Kimbrel for making the end of this game
so anxiety filled.)

[SeaBeachFred]

And sending Sale in for the 8th was a stroke of genius for Cora. I suppose he couldn't leave him in to close without bending Kimbrel's nose out of shape. Plus another inning may have impacted his next start. Still, it was a good move.

As much as we trash the BP, they did well tonight except for Kimbrel, who almost folded like a cheap umbrella.

Kimbrella?

Good points save for Sale not going out for another inning.  To me another inning wouldn't have made any difference at all; in fact, it would have been a benefit for Chris because he got some work in anyway and two inning would have been better.  He would have stopped the Yankees cold as he did all the times he faced them this season.  Plus we wouldn't be playing until Saturday and he would have been fully rested and sharper from getting some extra work four days in advance of the ALCS opener.

[Bill-806]

Figured best to open the thread early to discuss lineup.  I'm very surprised that he didn't find a way to get Holt in there, but I would imagine he'll be in at some point.  Holt is 0-1 this year vs. Sabathia with a walk.  Kinsler is 2-6 and Nunez 3-7 and I'm sure the thought is to load up righties.  Most interesting is that Vazquez, who has not caught Porcello all year, will be starting over Leon and I'm quite pleased with that.  Leon has 2 hits in his last 45 at bats or some ridiculous stat like that.  Vazquez had 2 hits last night.

WOW.... NO HOLT or DEVERS ??  I know that  C C is lefthanded, BUT, ya can't shift the entire offense to the 1st 4 in the batting order...…. Mater a fact,  Mookie & Benny should come out BUNTING to make  C C  MOVE on his bad KNEES..... That said,  NUNEZ & Kinsler need to participate in the OFFENSE or it will be a game 5 back at the FENS ?? iono iono iono

As DAD would say, "SON, that's why you ae not the MANAGER of OUR BOSTON RED SOX !!!"...….WOW,  WE WON, THE RED SOX WON, CORA IS A GENIUS !!!!  Great JOB, BOYS !! thumb_u thumb_u rofl rofl rofl rofl

[Schloicka]

Lot of people like to post with the knowledge of knowing what happened or didn't happen. Sale was never going to pitch more than 1 inning. That was never in the cards especially with a 3 run lead. He only pitched when he did because it was the 8, 9 & 1 hitters. If he had been left in and he got hit around people would of been saying why didn't Cora use our closer? It's his job to close. If Kimbrel had thrown a perfect 123 inning or something close people wouldn't be talking about Sale pitching the 9th. No matter what Cora did if it didn't turn out good everyone would be all over him. Cora handled the pitching just the way he should of. It's up to the player to do his job. There was absolutely no way Kimbrel wasn't going to pitch the 9th. If Kimbrel isn't going to be pitching the 9th in that situation take him off the playoff roster and put someone else on it.

People like to complain that this guy should play or that guy should play (I wonder at times myself why someone isn't or is playing) The team is 111 and 55 now this year and moving on in the playoffs. Will they win it all? I have no idea but I'm not going to spend my time 2nd guessing every move made. Try enjoying the ride no matter how long it lasts. Don't be a bunch of bridge jumpers.

[Bill-806]

Lot of people like to post with the knowledge of knowing what happened or didn't happen. Sale was never going to pitch more than 1 inning. That was never in the cards especially with a 3 run lead. He only pitched when he did because it was the 8, 9 & 1 hitters. If he had been left in and he got hit around people would of been saying why didn't Cora use our closer? It's his job to close. If Kimbrel had thrown a perfect 123 inning or something close people wouldn't be talking about Sale pitching the 9th. No matter what Cora did if it didn't turn out good everyone would be all over him. Cora handled the pitching just the way he should of. It's up to the player to do his job. There was absolutely no way Kimbrel wasn't going to pitch the 9th. If Kimbrel isn't going to be pitching the 9th in that situation take him off the playoff roster and put someone else on it.

People like to complain that this guy should play or that guy should play (I wonder at times myself why someone isn't or is playing) The team is 111 and 55 now this year and moving on in the playoffs. Will they win it all? I have no idea but I'm not going to spend my time 2nd guessing every move made. Try enjoying the ride no matter how long it lasts. Don't be a bunch of bridge jumpers.

B I N G O dat !!!   & THANK YOU very much for putting the GAME/TEAM that we love in to perspective !!!   GO SOX !! thumb_u thumb_u rofl rofl rofl

[longgame]

Lot of people like to post with the knowledge of knowing what happened or didn't happen. Sale was never going to pitch more than 1 inning. That was never in the cards especially with a 3 run lead. He only pitched when he did because it was the 8, 9 & 1 hitters. If he had been left in and he got hit around people would of been saying why didn't Cora use our closer? It's his job to close. If Kimbrel had thrown a perfect 123 inning or something close people wouldn't be talking about Sale pitching the 9th. No matter what Cora did if it didn't turn out good everyone would be all over him. Cora handled the pitching just the way he should of. It's up to the player to do his job. There was absolutely no way Kimbrel wasn't going to pitch the 9th. If Kimbrel isn't going to be pitching the 9th in that situation take him off the playoff roster and put someone else on it.

People like to complain that this guy should play or that guy should play (I wonder at times myself why someone isn't or is playing) The team is 111 and 55 now this year and moving on in the playoffs. Will they win it all? I have no idea but I'm not going to spend my time 2nd guessing every move made. Try enjoying the ride no matter how long it lasts. Don't be a bunch of bridge jumpers.

I was surprised when he pulled Porcello, but the rest of the way he played it just right.  Sale of course was going to pitch only one inning and going to Kimbrel in the 9th is automatic - it is the sole purpose for him being on the team, to close games.  I'd like to say that Cora totally outmanaged Boone last night.  I was pleasantly surprised when he pulled CC and brought in another lefthander.  At least bring in a righty and challenge Cora to make some moves to address it.  He screwed up the night before too.

Also, I saw a postgame interview with Porcello and he was absolutely gushing about Cora and what a breath of fresh air he is and how much they all love him and playing for him.  Nobody ever said that about Farrell. 

[Schloicka]

Lot of people like to post with the knowledge of knowing what happened or didn't happen. Sale was never going to pitch more than 1 inning. That was never in the cards especially with a 3 run lead. He only pitched when he did because it was the 8, 9 & 1 hitters. If he had been left in and he got hit around people would of been saying why didn't Cora use our closer? It's his job to close. If Kimbrel had thrown a perfect 123 inning or something close people wouldn't be talking about Sale pitching the 9th. No matter what Cora did if it didn't turn out good everyone would be all over him. Cora handled the pitching just the way he should of. It's up to the player to do his job. There was absolutely no way Kimbrel wasn't going to pitch the 9th. If Kimbrel isn't going to be pitching the 9th in that situation take him off the playoff roster and put someone else on it.

People like to complain that this guy should play or that guy should play (I wonder at times myself why someone isn't or is playing) The team is 111 and 55 now this year and moving on in the playoffs. Will they win it all? I have no idea but I'm not going to spend my time 2nd guessing every move made. Try enjoying the ride no matter how long it lasts. Don't be a bunch of bridge jumpers.

I was surprised when he pulled Porcello, but the rest of the way he played it just right.  Sale of course was going to pitch only one inning and going to Kimbrel in the 9th is automatic - it is the sole purpose for him being on the team, to close games.  I'd like to say that Cora totally outmanaged Boone last night.  I was pleasantly surprised when he pulled CC and brought in another lefthander.  At least bring in a righty and challenge Cora to make some moves to address it.  He screwed up the night before too.

Also, I saw a postgame interview with Porcello and he was absolutely gushing about Cora and what a breath of fresh air he is and how much they all love him and playing for him.  Nobody ever said that about Farrell.

The Yankee pen actually pitched very well. The Sox only got 1 run off them and it was a HR by the power hitting Vazquez. (never saw that coming) Good thing we were playing in Yankee stadium because in Fenway that ball doesn't even get to the warning track. I think they went to Britton because Cora could of countered with Holt and Devers against a right hander plus if Britton is on he's very tough. Outside of the HR the Yankee pen was very good. The Sox only got 3 hits & 2 walks the last 6 innings. The only inning where the Sox could of really added on was the 8th when we loaded the bases with 2 outs but Beni k'd to end it. 

[SeaBeachFred]

Well we can all say the move was the right one because Kimbrel finally got that last out, but I wonder what we were thinking last night in the ninth inning when it looked like the game was getting away from us.  I'm honest enough to say bullshit to going with "the plan".  Yes, Kimbrel is paid big bucks for being our closer and, yes, we would all be pissing and moaning if Sale had pitched the ninth and blown up.  Fact is, it wouldn't have happened for two reasons.  One, Cora was determined to give Craig the ball, and, second, SALE WOULDN'T HAVE COLLAPSED AT ALL.  He would have shoved the Yankee bats up the Yankee asses as he had done all season.  Still, I will accept the criticism for getting overwrought but I was scared shitless and anyone who says they weren't is  totally full of shit.  Glad it worked out for us and our team.  I hate losing to the Yankees and it would have been hell having to go back to Boston for that 5th game.  Anyway, we're all happy today, and, BTW, aside from Kimbrel, our relievers last night did a helluva job and that was a totally pleasant surprise.  Now we can relax for a few days.

[BoSoxFanNY]

TODAY - October 10 is a good day!
Our Sox have advanced to the ALCS.
Fun to listen to the media in New York about the
Red Sox being the better team!  With better starting
pitching AND with the exception of Kimbrel - a good bullpen.

NY media is discussing how Alex Cora managed well and knew his team
and how Aaron Boone mismanaged his pitchers.  Also - how the Yankees
can only win with homers and don't know how to play small ball.

AND even though the Sox cruised through the end of the regular season,
they DID SHOW that they were ready to plan in the postseason.

[BoSoxFanNY]

Michael Kay is discussing the Yankees loss to the Red Sox.
They are upset - saying that Aaron Boone AND the front office
"scripted" the way that CC would pitch.  They are screaming about
the analytics.  That a game "has a heartbeat"
They claim that he SHOULD have managed better.

AND that the analytics said that the Yankees SHOULD hit home runs.
AND that was the problem with Yankees in the bottom of yesterday's 9th inning.


Fun . . .

[BoSoxFanNY]

NOW talking about how the Yankees depend on the home run
to win games.

[Schloicka]

NOW talking about how the Yankees depend on the home run
to win games.

I always said if you can stop the Yankees from hitting hr's you can beat them. They are the prototype for today's style of baseball. Swing hard and hope you hit it out.