GAME #80, MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2019, CHICAGO WHITE SOX @ BOSTON RED SO

[SeaBeachFred]

Fred, you don't get style points and I'd rather have them win when they're scuffling than not.  They also gave away some runs in that game too and a lot of teams will make errors that cause the other team to score.  Last year, if another team made an error, the Sox made them pay.  This year, not as much, but you take what the game gives you.

I don't recall Martinez being in a slump like this in his time with the Sox.  Nice to see Betts with a solo shot, but it would be nice if he could come up big with men on base for a change.

Ted--Style points or not it has become increasingly clear to me anyway that our team can go flat on a moment's notice.  That series against the Blue Jays was proof positive of that.  How the hell can a team come back from a four run deficit on Friday, win in dramatic fashion, and then go totally flat the next two games and almost mailing both losses in.  There is something terribly wrong with our team, but I will concede that JD's back must be hurting him because he hasn't looked like the lethal assassin he was last season---but what is Mookie's excuse?  He has looked entangled and out of sorts all season.  Is he worried about that contract he thinks he'll be getting when he becomes a free agent because the way he's going he's not going to get it.  And this crap of re-arranging the bullpen by call-ups and sent downs amounts to nothing because it is the same faces in the same places and crappy pitching to boot.

We need to sweep this series and then take the Yankees at least once in London---then I might take notice and say that we may be emerging as a team worthy of a post season berth, but right now no can do bobaloo.

[rkarp]

I think this pen looks different with;
Johnson in the starting rotation
Eavoldi coming back and building innings from the pen
Hembree coming back
Velazquez coming back
Wright coming back
That is a serious mid season upgrade from where it has been
Lets face it, the current group is on fumes, and trotting out 4A guys.

[SeaBeachFred]

J.D. Martinez 0-for-12 in his past 3 games and multi-hit games in only two of his past nine games. Have to wonder if his back is hurting him

I alluded to what you and Elk said in a recent post concerning JD Martinez.  I have to believe his back is acting up on him and back pain is no laughing matter at al.  It can debilitate you real bad.  OTOH, this may be the time for the other players to step up big time and help carry more of the load.  For some reason we very seldom hit in sync.  If Rafey is hot, Bogie has an off day, if Bogie is hot the Vaz and JBJ are off.  We need a full team effort plus our starters going six and seven innings, and on occasion maybe a rare complete game.  I sometimes get the feeling that each player is waiting for someone else to take the lead and that is not how champions are made.  Last season proved what a real team effort can achieve when the team is all melded as one.

[SeaBeachFred]

I think this pen looks different with;
Johnson in the starting rotation
Eavoldi coming back and building innings from the pen
Hembree coming back
Velazquez coming back
Wright coming back
That is a serious mid season upgrade from where it has been
Lets face it, the current group is on fumes, and trotting out 4A guys.

Well when they come back, then fine, but in the meantime you can't blow five run leads in a game against a rebuilding team as we did on Saturday or play as flat or uninspired as we did on Sunday.   I'll lok forward to when these guys get well and can start contributing to the team but in the meantime those able to play must put out 100% each and every game and not come into a contest flat as a pancake as this team has done too many times this season.  I await a complete revival of our team.

[longgame]

I haven't been particularly impressed with either Betts or Martinez's approach at the plate.  In JD's defense I do believe that his back may not be 100%.  He seems to be having trouble picking up the pitch or his back is affecting his bat speed.  At least that's what it looks like to me.   In any case Sox hitters seem to take way too many third strikes.   I'd like to see them shorten their swings and adopt a more effective approach when hitting with two strikes.

Whereas Betts needs to keep his head down on the ball and shorten up his swing.  He's done a little better the past couple of weeks but he still has a lot of room for improvement.  It makes me wonder why these guys can't pick this stuff up though.  It's fundamentals and we can see it watching games on TV but the coaches should be all over this stuff.

[longgame]

I think this pen looks different with;
Johnson in the starting rotation
Eavoldi coming back and building innings from the pen
Hembree coming back
Velazquez coming back
Wright coming back
That is a serious mid season upgrade from where it has been
Lets face it, the current group is on fumes, and trotting out 4A guys.

Wright is back today I'm pretty sure.  The impact arm would be Eovaldi though.  Still, they're going to need to get a consistent 7 or more innings out of these starters.

Fred, I get they're playing flat and that's my huge fear for this team getting into a one game wild card game.  You can be sure they'll be flat on that one day.  But they have a lot of upside and like I said before, that stretch at the end of July/beginning of August where it's all TB and NYY for two weeks will be when this season is settled - unless the Sox play themselves out of it before that which is possible, but I don't think will happen. 

[SeaBeachFred]

I think this pen looks different with;
Johnson in the starting rotation
Eavoldi coming back and building innings from the pen
Hembree coming back
Velazquez coming back
Wright coming back
That is a serious mid season upgrade from where it has been
Lets face it, the current group is on fumes, and trotting out 4A guys.

Wright is back today I'm pretty sure.  The impact arm would be Eovaldi though.  Still, they're going to need to get a consistent 7 or more innings out of these starters.

Fred, I get they're playing flat and that's my huge fear for this team getting into a one game wild card game.  You can be sure they'll be flat on that one day.  But they have a lot of upside and like I said before, that stretch at the end of July/beginning of August where it's all TB and NYY for two weeks will be when this season is settled - unless the Sox play themselves out of it before that which is possible, but I don't think will happen.

Ted--I want to see the Red Sox play two solid weeks of baseball this season before it's too late.  I haven't seen that yet.  What we do is have a short four or five game series of solid play and then see them reverting to a blase, flat and diffident bunch of under achievers.  I don't know this keeps happening; you would think a team that ran the tables on everyone a year ago would have enough energy and gumption to go out there and punish a bunch of teams with the attitude that they are tired of farting around and lay into them with anger and violence with their bats and arms.

[longgame]

They’re 15-8 in June, that’s 3 weeks of solid baseball.  I get what you mean though, they’re not lighting the world on fire and that’s the difference.  They’re at risk of falling out the race with the Yankees, but at the same time have the opportunity to set their own table.  I’d like them to play better, sooner rather than later and I think they’re delusional about the bullpen.