GAME #22, CHICAGO CUBS AT BOSTON RED SOX

[SeaBeachFred]

Kimbrel done good. And a W is a W. But there's not a lot to be happy about here. Arrietta basically melted down in the 1st and the Sox scored 5. And that was it for the rest of the game despite numerous chances, including a bases-loaded, no-outs situation. This offense still sucks and they were damn lucky to come away with a W tonight.

Right you are markj.  A win is a win but when you look deeper at the game some things really jump out at you.  Vazquez got two hits and an RBI but knowing Farrell with 181 hitting Sandy Leon be back in the lineup tomorrow?  With Farrell's addled brain that is a possibility.  After that five run first we just shit the bed and threw away one chance after another, then tried to give the game away in the seventh with some shitty relief pitching that is now supposed to be a strength for us.  Only a dunce like Farrell would bat Bogaerts leadoff and from his first two at bats anyone could see that is not the place for him.  He stunk there.  You Hernandez fans an wax poetic that he got two hits, but notice none came with men on base and when he had MISP he crapped out just as I knew he would.  Tomorrow we have Wright on the mound, but do you think Farrell will have someone stretching out in the bullpen to be ready when Steve has that nuclear inning he so infamously famous for?  No he won't.  Chances are the Cubs will come back and win the next two games unless we play a helluva lot better than we did tonight.  Sorry to burst your balloons but facts are facts and reality can sometimes be a bitch.

[ipot]

I third the sentiment above, markj and Fred.  After the 1st the bats went back to sleep.   The unsung hero on this W is Abad, of all people.  He came and got those 2 Ks to bail out Kelly's mess.   Kimbrel did what he was paid a king's ransom to do - and, believe me, I'm glad he's been on a good run lately.  This was a W we needed.

Bogaert's mentioned the other day that Papi's absence is something that they're adjusting to.   Hanley IS good enough to fill Papi's shoes.  He just has to turn on the power switch; that will go a long way toward the other guys falling into place.  The problem spots are JBJ - who's flailing again - and Panda - who can't muster consistency from AB to AB.  Before the season started I felt if all bats were clicking to their potential, we could carry a weak-hitting Leon/Vasquez. 

[Muggah]

This was a game in which the world champs essentially spotted us 5 runs to start the game. And once the real Arietta showed up our offense was done for the night. And that's not the sign of a good team.

A good team, with effective leadership in place, would have slammed the pedal to the medal and blown the world champs out---making a statement in the process.

We are not a good team right now.

[Bill-806]

As  DAD would say, "Son, all's well that ends well" !!! thumb_u

[longgame]

The DPs just killed us.  It's all part of the same problem - no big hits to bring home all those guys on base.  You get that many men on base, once in a while someone has to knock one out.

JBJ may be the worst guy with RISP I've ever seen.  I didn't look up averages, but it seems he disappears with a big opportunity and striking out is often the best possible outcome as opposed to a DP.  Without any depth and with his fielding, they need to fix this problem.

Leon will be in today Fred because of the old "day game after night game" thing.  He is also now Sale's personal catcher I believe, so we may be stuck with him for a long time.

Someone mentioned HR making up for Papi.  He can to some extent, but the season Papi had last year was amazing for someone at any age.  Hanley comes out too many times trying to kill the ball, but it doesn't help him to hit for average and guys are gunning at him because he and Betts are the only ones that can hurt you, when they are on, which they are not.

Will they be able to score any runs tonight or tomorrow?  What can light a fire under this team?  They seem to be masters of the bloop hit, going the other way.  While that's great 2 strike hitting and keeps the line moving, all that weak hitting doesn't drive in runs.  It seems like a lot of guys are watching good pitches go by, and then are forced to just put the ball in play. 

One last thing.  O'Brien killed me in the first when, after Bogey made the first out in the leadoff spot and before Pedey came up to bat, he said that "Farrell's switch in the lineup has worked so far."  The guy is an idiot.